Cafcass

Cafcass England

Improving child and family arrangements (ICFA).

ICFA is a bespoke service offered to families by Cafcass, families are unable to self-refer to ICFA. ICFA aims to support families in agreeing safe, beneficial and sustainable child arrangements. This is because some families may find it difficult to reach these agreements without support. It is a short-term intervention for families and is limited to 60 working days to complete the intervention.

ICFA has four key outcomes that it aims to support families achieving:

  • Reducing barriers and resistance to agreeing arrangements and managing any risks so that these are safe
  • Promoting positive communication within families
  • Ensuring children’s wishes and feelings are heard and considered
  • Helping families agree a Parenting Plan to avoid future issues arising

The work with ICFA varies from family to family and is assessed at initial stages to ensure best outcomes are achieved. Work with families can include but not limited to:

  • Work with parents together or separately to overcome conflict
  • Sharing tips for effective co-parenting and providing parents with what they need to know to enable to work together post-intervention
  • 1:1 work with children to explore their wishes and feelings
  • Observation of contact between parents and their children

Swan Family are the lead providers in South West and South East England. Whilst we complete referrals ourselves, we also work in partnership with other organisations who also complete the work with families across both regions.

Logo

CAFCASS CYMRU

Cafcass Cymru Child Contact Services

Child Contact Services are child centred environments that offer safe, friendly and neutral places where separated families see their children so that relationships can be (re)started and for any contact to be safe and in the best interest of the child. Contact Centres are a short-term option before considering if and how arrangements can continue out of the contact centre. Referrals will only be accepted directly from Cafcass Cymru.

Cafcass Cymru Working Together 4 Children (WT4C)

Working Together for children ensures that the intervention promotes the voice of the child and is centred on their rights, welfare and best interests. The objectives of the WT4C programme are:

  1. Child-centred: We have children and young people at the heart of all our work
  2. Inclusive: We respect difference, challenge discrimination, promote inclusivity and embrace diversity
  3. Integrity & Respect: We work in a fair, honest, and transparent way with everyone we work with, valuing and respecting their individuality.

The overall aim of the WT4C programme are for participants to:

  1. Have a clear and unequivocal understanding of the impact of family
    conflict on children.
  2. Have a clear focus on the best outcomes for their children by having accessed relevant, timely and well delivered information and support.
  3. Positively change their behaviour for the benefit of their children by having engaged in up-to-date, relevant, and powerful materials as recommended by a Cafcass Cymru Practitioner.

We aim to promote mindsets which enable the children of separating parents:

  1. To enjoy close and nurturing relationships with both parents, wherever safe to do so
  2. To have a childhood which is not dominated by conflict between parents
  3. To be consulted (age-appropriate) when decisions are made which affect them
  4. To thrive in childhood, with parents who live apart