Cafcass has launched a new telephone service for children and young people to share feedback on their experience of support during Family Court proceedings

The ‘Hear to Listen’ service will give children the opportunity to share their views about how well Cafcass supported them, how effectively they were listened to and understood what life is like for them. And how that understanding influenced what the Family Court Adviser recommended in their report to the court. Cafcass want to hear whether children understood their thinking, whether they felt able to influence proceedings about them and what Cafcass could have done differently and better. The hope is that children will want to share their honest feedback in the comfortable space that is the ‘Hear to Listen’ phone line.

The phone number for the service is 0808 175 3333.

The feedback that children and families give to Cafcass about their experiences will continuously influence the way Cafcass works across the whole organisation and the improvements they make.

We would like to point out that this is a feedback service only, and not a helpline for children.

Cafcass has worked closely with the Family Justice Young People’s Board (FJYPB) to help develop an accessible and reassuring opportunity to learn from children’s experiences of Cafcass in the Family Court proceedings.

Children can use the telephone line to contact Cafcass, during or after their proceedings to provide feedback. If the proceedings remain live at the point Cafcass is contacted, the call will be directed to their Family Court Adviser who will contact them directly to answer any question and/or to explain what is happening at that time.

The new telephone line does not change the process or opportunity for children to complain which remains as set out on Cafcass website. Cafcass welcome and prioritise children’s complaints. They are contacted within one working day if they complain and Cafcass expect to resolve their difficulties within ten working days.