Cafcass Safeguarding Checks: What to Expect in a Child Arrangements Case

What Cafcass Does in a Child Arrangements Case

Cafcass — the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service — is an independent body that advises the Family Court on the welfare of children. When you file a C100 application for a child arrangements order, the court sends a copy to Cafcass (or Cafcass Cymru in Wales), and they carry out mandatory safeguarding checks before your first hearing.

Cafcass does not represent you or the other parties. Their job is to help the judge understand whether the child is safe and what arrangement would serve the child's best interests.

The Initial Safeguarding Stage

Once Cafcass receives your application, they begin two things at once:

Database screening — they search national police records (via the Police National Computer) and local authority children's social care files for any history involving the child, the applicant, and the respondents. This covers domestic abuse records, criminal convictions, and any previous involvement with social services.

Safeguarding telephone calls — a Cafcass Family Court Adviser contacts each party separately by phone. These calls typically happen within a few weeks of your application being issued.

During the call, expect questions about:

• Why you are applying for the order
• Your current living arrangements with the child
• Whether there are any safety concerns about any party
• Whether the child has expressed any wishes
• Any history of domestic abuse, substance misuse, or mental health difficulties

The call is not a cross-examination, but it is important. The officer writes up their findings in a safeguarding letter (or, under the Child-Focused Courts model rolling out nationally from March 2026, a more detailed Child Impact Report). This document goes to the judge before your first hearing and significantly shapes the court's initial view of the case.

How to Prepare for the Cafcass Phone Call

The call often catches people off guard because it comes without much warning and covers sensitive topics. A few practical steps help:

• Have your timeline written down — when the child came into your care, what triggered it, how long the arrangement has lasted
• Be factual, not emotional — the officer is assessing risk, so clear facts serve you better than a narrative about how difficult things have been
• Mention any safety concerns upfront — if you filed a Form C1A alongside your C100, the officer already has the details, but raise them clearly
• Note what the child has said — if the child has expressed where they want to live or any fears, mention it; Cafcass gathers the child's wishes as part of their statutory duty
• Keep a log — write down the date, the officer's name, and what was discussed, immediately after the call

Section 7 Welfare Reports

If the safeguarding check raises unresolved concerns — contested facts, complex family dynamics, or safety questions that need deeper investigation — the court can order a Section 7 welfare report under the Children Act 1989.

A Section 7 report is much more involved than the initial safeguarding check. The Cafcass officer (or a local authority social worker if the family is already known to social services) will:

• Visit your home and observe the child's living environment
• Interview you and the respondents in more detail
• Speak with the child using age-appropriate methods
• Contact schools, GPs, or other professionals who know the child
• Assess the case against the statutory Welfare Checklist — the child's physical and emotional needs, the effect of any change, any harm suffered or at risk of, and the capability of each carer

Section 7 reports typically take 12 to 16 weeks. The report includes a recommendation, though the judge is not bound by it.

Child-Focused Courts: The New Model

Since March 2026, the Ministry of Justice has been rolling out Child-Focused Courts across England and Wales, replacing the traditional Child Arrangements Programme in many areas. Under this model, Cafcass front-loads multi-agency information sharing and prepares a comprehensive Child Impact Report within 40 days of the application, rather than a basic safeguarding letter.

Early data shows average case resolution dropping from 29 weeks to around 18 weeks under this model. For relatives, this means a faster initial assessment and earlier judicial direction — though contested cases still proceed through the full hearing sequence.

What Cafcass Cannot Do

Cafcass does not give you legal advice, fill in your court forms, or represent you at hearings. They do not decide the case — they advise the judge. Their assessment is one piece of evidence the court considers alongside everything else.

If you disagree with a Cafcass recommendation, you can challenge it at the hearing by presenting your own evidence and, if you have one, through your legal representative. Many relatives represent themselves without a solicitor, and the court expects and accommodates this.

Our Child Arrangements Order Process Guide includes a Cafcass preparation log template and a step-by-step walkthrough of what happens at each stage of the court process.

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