Dear Candidate,
Thank you for
your interest in becoming a member of the Children and Family Court
Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) Board.
You may already
have some idea about the important work we do in Cafcass and the following
pages will tell you more about the organisation’s purpose and the requirements
on Cafcass Board members.
Cafcass is an
independent (non-departmental) public body which has a statutory responsibility
to safeguard and promote the welfare of children going through family
proceedings. These can be disputes between parents about child arrangements
following separation or divorce, or intervention by local authorities when
children are at risk of significant harm. We independently advise the family
courts in England about what is safe for children and in their best interests.
Cafcass is the
largest single employer of social workers in England. It seeks to secure the
best possible outcomes for children and young people whose future care is
subject to decisions by the family court. Cafcass practitioners undertake
direct work with these children and young people and their families, to ensure
the child has the opportunity to make their wishes and feelings clear and
provide independent expert social work analysis and recommendations to the
family court.
In its inspection of Cafcass in
January 2024, Ofsted reported that Cafcass is delivering an outstanding
service. In its most
recent focussed visit of Cafcass, in October
2025, Ofsted commented positively on Cafcass’ work.
Cafcass’
strategic plan, ‘Ambitious for children 2023 – 2026’, set out how the
organisation would aim to deliver exceptional experiences for every child
supported by Cafcass in family proceedings through our Practice, People and
Partner priorities: our ‘Together’ social work practice framework, our
professional, dedicated staff and our strong partnerships across the family
justice system. We are very proud of our success to date and strive to
continuously improve all aspects of our service, always having children’s best
interests at the heart of our work. Against a challenging backdrop of increased
demand and constrained resources in the family courts, we continue to explore
with local authorities, the courts and the judiciary how current or potential
new models of family proceedings, such as the pathfinder courts, can ultimately
deliver better outcomes for children and families.
If after
reading the material you have further questions about any aspect of this post
or the recruitment process, you are welcome to contact the Public Appointments
Team at: Publicappointmentsteam@justice.gov.uk.
If you believe
you have the experience and qualities we are seeking, we very much look forward
to hearing from you. I do hope you will consider applying for this important
position.
The purpose of the Board is threefold: to ensure good governance across
the organisation, to add value to Cafcass’s strategic direction and programmes,
and to ensure that Cafcass’ policies are compatible with those of the Secretary
of State.
The Board is specifically responsible for:
- Establishing and taking forward the
strategic aims and objectives of Cafcass consistent with its overall
strategic direction and within the policy and resources framework
determined by the responsible Minister;
- Ensuring that the responsible Minister is
kept informed of any changes or risks that are likely to impact on the
strategic direction of Cafcass or on the attainability of its targets, and
determining the steps needed to deal with such changes or risks;
- Ensuring that any statutory or
administrative requirements for the use of public funds are complied with;
that the Board operates within the limits of its statutory authority and
any delegated authority agreed with the Department, and in accordance with
any other conditions relating to the use of public funds; and that, in
reaching decisions, the Board takes into account guidance issued by the Department;
- Ensuring that it receives and reviews
regular financial information concerning the management of Cafcass; is
informed in a timely manner of any concerns about the activities of
Cafcass; and provides positive assurance to the Department that
appropriate action has been taken on such concerns;
- Demonstrating high standards of corporate
governance at all times, including by using the Audit and Risk Assurance
Committee to help the Board to identity, address and manage key financial
and other risks;
- Ensuring Cafcass is compliant with
appropriate adaptations of sections of Corporate Governance in Central
Government Departments: Code of Good Practice;
- Ensuring suitable business continuity
arrangements are put into place and tested; and
- Appointing a Chief Executive and, in
consultation with the Department, setting performance objectives and
remuneration terms linked to those objectives for the Chief Executive,
which give due weight to the proper management and use of public resources.
- Members of the Board may be called upon to
chair various Cafcass working groups that are charged with developing
strategies for priority areas, or to take on lead roles for specific
issues. This lead role system is well developed and is based upon important
thematic issues being taken forward by a Board member and designated
senior manager, on behalf of the Board and the Cafcass Executive (the
Corporate Management Team).
Cafcass’s functions include safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children, giving advice to the court about any application made to it, making provision for children to be represented in such proceedings, and providing information, advice and other support for the children and their families.
Sally
Cheshire (Chair)
Sally Cheshire
CBE is an experienced Chair, Board member and Audit Chair across the public
sector and is an adoptive parent of three children. She was a Board Member of
the regional adoption agency, Adoption Counts, and served for many years as an
independent member of Adoption Panels in the North West, which approve adopters
and family matches in the best interests of children. She is also the Chair of
NHS Resolution and a member of the Departmental Audit and Risk Assurance
Committee at the Department of Work and Pensions.
Sally has held
several senior leadership roles across the NHS and the wider health and care
sector, including Chair of the HFEA, the UK’s regulator of the fertility sector
and embryo research, and with Health Education England, NHS North and the
Health Research Authority. She was also previously a Board member of the Care
Quality Commission.
Sally
previously enjoyed a successful corporate career with Deloitte, one of the
global professional services firms and, having moved into public sector work,
is passionate about improving the quality of public services offered to
families and patients and, in her adoption work, ensuring children’s wishes and
feelings are respected and decisions taken in their best interests.
Eileen Munro
(Deputy Chair)
Eileen Munro is
Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics. She has
written extensively on how to improve reasoning in child protection work,
covering how best to combine intuitive and analytic reasoning, and also on the
importance of understanding how the organisational system influences workers’
actions. In 2011, she completed the Munro Review of the English Child
Protection System.
Returning to
her roots in philosophy, Eileen is working with Professor Nancy Cartwright on
an AHRC-funded project that is exploring how to find credible evidence on
singular causal claims in complex systems and how this challenges traditional
evidence-based practice.
Dalwardin Babu
Dalwardin Babu
is a member of the Parole Board, a Non-Executive Director for the NHS, a
Community Development Officer for St Francis de Sales Federation of Schools in
Tottenham, Interim Director of Public Protection and Integrated Enforcement at
Tower Hamlets and a member of The London Policing Board. During his time in the
police, he was part of the Children's Safeguarding Boards in Tower Hamlets and
Harrow. Dalwardin is a regular contributor on BBC Radio 4/5 and BBC/ITV News on
a wide range of policing and community issues.
Jenny Coles
Jenny Coles was
appointed to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel in December 2021 and
was reappointed in November 2025 for a period of four years. Jenny was Director
of Children’s Services in Hertfordshire County Council from 2010 to 2021 when
she retired. She was also President of the Association of Directors of
Children’s Services from April 2020 to April 2021.
Steven
Cox
Steven Cox is
an executive coach, an enabler of senior leadership development, and an
independent consultant, working with clients on their corporate strategies,
including how they can embed a strategic approach to equity, workplace
inclusion and workforce diversity. The majority of Steven’s career has been in
the private sector leading business units enabling organisational improvement
through the delivery of mission critical transformational technology services
to Central Government Departments, non-Departmental bodies, Agencies and other
public sector bodies. Steven has held several other advisory roles to private
and third-sector organisations.
Catherine
Doran
Catherine Doran
has a strong background in safeguarding, social work, leading transformational
change for communities, families and children. She has a particular
interest in the impact domestic violence has on women and children. She has
worked in a variety of public sector services over 30 years. Her portfolio at
Executive level has spanned both central and local government, the NHS and the not-for-profit
sector.
She was
previously an Executive Director of children and young people's services
including schools and a Non-Executive Director at the Disclosure and Barring
Service with a focus on systems delivery, partnerships and safeguarding
standards. She is currently on the Children's Advisory panel of the
British Board of Film Classification, the video appeals panel and a Trustee/Non
Exec at Save the Children with the lead on Safeguarding.
Peter Fish
Peter is a
solicitor with over 25 years’ experience as a Government Lawyer, most recently
as (interim) Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal
Department (GLD). He began his career as a litigation solicitor in private
practice before joining the Government Legal Service in 1994. He has held a
number of senior legal roles across government, including as Legal Adviser to
the Cabinet Office, Head of the Attorney General’s Office and Legal Adviser to
the Home Office. Peter was an executive member of GLD’s Board from 2014 until
leaving the civil service in April 2021. He is currently Chair of the Fitness
to Practice Committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Amanda
Jones
Mandy first
joined the Civil Service in 1990 as Policy Lead for the Prison Service Medical
Directorate, whereafter she has undertaken a range of roles based in various
locations across the UK and in France. The majority of her career has been
focused on operational delivery, organisational improvement, change management
and programme delivery, working in the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and for
the Cabinet Office.
Helen
Jones
Helen Jones is
an experienced risk, compliance and regulatory policy practitioner, with both
public and commercial cross-sectoral experience in financial services and
non-executive experience in social housing, services for children and young
people, and occupational pensions. Helen worked in various senior risk roles
for the Bank of England and for the Financial Services Authority, before
working for Lloyds Banking Group.
Helen was a
board member of the then YMCA London South West (now St Paul’s Group) for over
20 years, latterly as Chair of the Board. She chaired the Board of the YMCA
pension scheme for 12 years and is a current member of its Investment
Committee.
Helen Osborn
Helen is Joint
Head of Child Protection at Invicta Law, where she leads a large
multidisciplinary team providing specialist legal services in public law
children’s proceedings. She has extensive experience working with local
authorities and partner agencies on complex safeguarding and child protection
matters and contributes actively to the effective functioning of the family
justice system. Helen qualified as a solicitor in 2011 and has spent her career
in public service, working within local government and the public sector legal
environment. She has held senior leadership roles within child protection legal
services and regularly supports learning and development across the sector
through training and professional engagement.
Catharine
Seddon
Catharine
brings a wealth of experience to Cafcass having spent 15 years working in
public service as a non-executive director, principally for national
regulators. Having recently completed two terms as the Senior Independent
Director for both The Legal Services Board and the Gambling Commission, she is
also the Deputy Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and
sits on the board of the Health and Care Professions Council. Catharine sits on
employment tribunals, as a lay assessor on civil cases in the county courts, on
the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and she
is a presiding magistrate in Central London. Catharine is a Course Tutor for
the Civil Service College and a Trustee for CPotential, a charity which
provides a range of services and support for children and young people who have
movement disorders. Prior to sitting on national boards, Catharine was a BBC
producer/director and eventually set up her own production company, working
mainly for C4.