(d) provide information, advice and other support for the children and their families.”[2]The provisions of court welfare services were the subject of two reviews.

The Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR)[3] and a subsequent review[4] conducted jointly by the Home Office, the Lord Chancellor’s Department and the Department of Health concluded that a new integrated service subsuming these functions could improve service to the courts, better safeguard the interests of children, reduce wasteful overlaps and increase efficiency.

[9] Among many key areas to be addressed were ensuring: Cafcass's statutory basis; funding to cover start-up, transitional and ongoing costs; change management of the merger of 114 autonomous bodies into a single organisation; maintenance of current casework.

These were addressed by a project team, drawn from the three relevant government departments and supplemented by consultants dealing with, for example, IT, payroll, estates and finance.

In 2005/06 Cafcass produced the consultation document Every Day Matters that led to a draft set of National Standards.

These standards set out what service users, partner agencies and practitioners in the family justice system could expect.

The standards noted the importance of service-user feedback and the active engagement and participation of children in their case planning process.

Cafcass asserted the importance of including children's views in the decision making processes involved in court proceedings.

They provide an important perspective on the work of the family justice system and offer an intelligent and energetic challenge to the board of Cafcass.

Following the changes within Welsh Government in 2007, CAFCASS Cymru became part of the Department for Health and Social Services.

The Cafcass Board is made up of non-executive members appointed in accordance with the Membership, Committee and Procedure Regulations 2005.

The primary aim is to reduce the risks to a child’s health and wellbeing and to promote their welfare and development.

[24] Cafcass is set Key Performance Indicator (KPI) targets by their sponsor department, the Ministry of Justice.

Cafcass provides to the Ministry of Justice its finalised (audited) accounts in line with HM Treasury guidelines.

[29] In 2009, Ofsted inspected Cafcass: Lancashire and Cumbria service area (including Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool).

"[31] In November 2010 a parliamentary Commons Public Affairs Committee found that "Cafcass as an organisation is not fit for purpose" and that it did not make "child-based decisions".