CAFCASS Guidance & Thresholds
CAFCASS practice guidance and threshold criteria for children's proceedings in England.
What it is
About CAFCASS Guidance & Thresholds
CAFCASS (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) is the statutory organisation in England that represents children in family court proceedings — private law cases (disputes between parents about arrangements for children) and public law cases (local authority applications to protect children at risk of harm). CAFCASS publishes practice guidance, threshold frameworks, and operating procedures that social workers, family solicitors, and children's guardians use to assess risk, make recommendations to courts, and plan interventions. For professionals working in children's social work and family law, CAFCASS guidance sets the analytical framework for determining whether the Section 31 threshold criteria (Children Act 1989) are met for care proceedings, how to conduct Safeguarding Checks, and what risk indicators to document in a schedule of findings. CAFCASS's Domestic Abuse Practice Framework and Children in Care guidance documents are routinely cited in care proceedings. Unlike the child protection procedures published by Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships (LSCPs) — which vary by area — CAFCASS guidance applies nationally across England and is referenced directly in court documents.
What you can do with it
Capabilities
Apply the CAFCASS Safeguarding Checklist to structure a risk assessment for a new private law referral.
Use the Section 31 threshold framework to document whether significant harm criteria are met in a public law case.
Reference CAFCASS's Domestic Abuse Practice Framework when assessing risk to a child in a home where domestic abuse is alleged.
Cross-reference CAFCASS guidance with local LSCP procedures when writing a social work statement for court.
Prepare a position statement for court using the CAFCASS analytical framework for Children in Care assessments.
How to learn it
Learning Resources
CAFCASS practice guidance library at cafcass.gov.uk/resources/publications — all guidance documents freely available
Social Work England CPD resources at socialworkengland.org.uk — continuing professional development for registered social workers
Family Justice Young People's Board resources — provides service-user perspective on CAFCASS processes
On-the-job learning: CAFCASS-specific application is typically developed through court work under supervision of experienced practitioners
Pro Tip
Always check the publication date of any CAFCASS guidance document you cite — practice guidance is updated following case law and legislative changes, and citing superseded guidance in a court statement is an error that opposing counsel and judges will notice.
Skills that use this tool
Roles that use this tool
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