Animated video for children and young people involved in family court proceedings launched by Cafcass
Cafcass has launched a new animated video which explains how Cafcass social workers help children and young people understand what is happening in family proceedings.
The video, ‘Taking me seriously: letting you know how we help’, was launched on 20 June at a dedicated ‘explainer’ event hosted by the National Business Centre, the organisation revealed.
The video, developed in collaboration with members of the Family Justice Young People’s Board (FJYPB), features animated avatars and voices of FJYPB members “sharing their recollections of how being involved in court proceedings made them feel”.
Cafcass noted that the video demonstrates the help children will be given in order to understand what will be recommended to the court. It also highlights the children’s positive experiences about “having a voice that is heard in the process”.
The organisation revealed that the video and event are the start of a series of engagements over the next year to help explain to families, children and Cafcass partners, “our intention to build on the successes of the last few years with a strong and bold ambition to offer exceptional experiences to children and families who come to Cafcass”.
Speaking about the event and the launch of the video, Cafcass Chief Executive, Jacky Tiotto, said: “Despite all the challenges that persist in the family justice system, we are determined to keep doing more and better for children and their families during a very difficult and frightening time in their lives. Explaining how we are intending to make further improvements and why, is a really important part of our ambition as a partner in this system.
“Another central and important part of what we want to do is to make sure that families and children in particular understand what we are saying to the family court about what we think is safe and in their best interests. Our family court advisers and all of us who work at Cafcass have the privilege of making relationships with children to inform the very important decisions made by the family court.
“Our intention is that every time and for all children, they hear why we are making our recommendations and they have a chance to have their thoughts about them included in our reports. This is just one example of our ambitious commitment to be informed and led by what children tell us matters to them.”
Lottie Winson
