Virtual Family Justice
The Family Justice Review, chaired by David Norgrove, will examine the effectiveness of Cafcass as well as looking for efficiency savings in all aspects of the family justice system in England and Wales.
Cafcass which, ‘as any fule kno’ has been a disaster since its inception in 2001, is fighting back. The CEO of Cafcass, Anthony Douglas says they will become more efficient by interviewing people via Skype and giving evidence via video link which will avoid the expense of actually seeing parents or even children in the smelly flesh and also avoid all that waste of time hanging around at courthouses.
Call me old-fashioned, but I would miss the sour cups of tea, the itchy feeling from the sofa, that rather odd smell from the kitchen and all the other real sensations gained on home visits. Not to mention checking out the kids’ bedrooms with my own actual eyes or indeed picking up all the gossip useful information from lawyers and others at yea olde courthouse.
WALL - a social worker's blog 
Skype? video link? As one of Anthony’s minions, I struggle to get `fit for purpose’, service from our appalling IT systems currently; I can’t even begin to express my feelings towards giving evidence in contested hearings on assessments undertaken in the manner they suggest is adequate, or, explaining to children exactly how I made recommendations about them on this basis, (assuming I have been allowed to ` see’ the child…) .
Welcome Willo,
I see you are as old-fashioned as me. Comiserations at being one of Anthony’s minions. What will you do when he and his empire are no more?
Brick