When General Secretary Ian Lawrence stood up to move Napo’s motion at this year’s TUC Congress, he had a clear message: Cafcass staff cannot go on like this.
The motion, seconded by Unison, laid out the pressures our members in Cafcass face every day. Unmanageable workloads, spiralling demand, and a family court system that is creaking at the seams.
And Congress listened. Unions backed our call for urgent reform, sending a strong message to government: the situation in Cafcass must change.
Taking your voice to the heart of the movement
Napo is proud to be the union that represents Cafcass staff. This motion took your concerns directly to the biggest stage in the trade union movement. That means people who represent tens of thousands of workers from across the UK stood with us when we said:
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The family courts are under unprecedented strain.
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Cafcass staff are being pushed beyond safe limits.
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The system is failing children and families unless action is taken now.
What we’re calling for
The motion secured Congress backing for two key demands:
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A full review of Cafcass’s status under the Ministry of Justice – to ask the serious question of whether this set-up still works for staff, families and taxpayers.
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An independent review of workloads – to establish a fair, evidence-based caseload that allows staff to deliver the quality service children and families deserve.
You can read the motion in full here
Why this motion matters
This isn’t just about staff wellbeing (although that’s crucial). It’s about public safety and protecting children. When practitioners are carrying excessive caseloads, decisions can be delayed, rushed or undermined. That’s not fair on staff—and it’s certainly not fair on the vulnerable families who rely on Cafcass.
What happens next
With the weight of the TUC behind us, our campaign for Cafcass reform is only just beginning. Napo will keep pressing for meaningful change, and we’ll be working closely with our allies across the union movement to make sure ministers can’t ignore this issue.
This is what trade unionism looks like: your voices, amplified at Congress, backed by the movement, and pushed straight onto the political agenda.
2 responses
A review of Cafcass is so obviously needed – great that it is being recognised!
The FCA contract is for 37 normal working hours. After 28 days holiday, 4 days sickness, 4 wellness plus 4 days training, and average 2 duty days per month where an FCA can’t work their own cases, the projected hours available to work are less than 30 per week. At 20 cases, that’s less than 1 hr 30 mins per case per week which includes everything – screening, all correspondence, attending hearings, travel, direct work with multiple children, interviews with parents, using tools, writing reports/analysis. We don’t need an expert review of workload to see it cannot be done unless we do excessive amounts of work for free AND become exhausted.