Cafcass Cymru issues practice guidance on completing court reports

The document covers:

• The purpose of the guidance
• The importance of language
• Writing court reports
• Practice examples – child-centred reframing: private law examples; public law examples
• Writing with clarity, accuracy and analysis: ensure the child’s voice is clearly represented; writing safely and clearly about domestic abuse
• Case planning and recording: purpose of case recording; impact of case recording on children and families; the child’s voice; diversity, identity and lived experience
• Using language that supports children and families
• References, useful links and additional resources.

In relation to writing court reports, the guidance says: “When writing court reports, we should consider both the purpose of the report and the audience. Our role is directed by the court, which sets out the matters we must explore. However, the way we communicate those matters, how we describe children’s experiences, analyse information, and present our professional judgement, is within our control and should reflect safe, balanced, and child‑focused practice.

“The language used in reports should support families to understand the assessment process and encourage working together. Our aim is to help families reach safe, child‑focused decisions, and the tone and clarity of our reporting play an important role in modelling this approach.

“The voice of the child should be central to our analysis. Yet, in high risk and/or high conflict cases, it can be easy for adult disputes to dominate the narrative. Reframing issues through the child’s lived experience helps parents and families to be clear about what matters most and supports proportionate, evidence‑based recommendations.”

Cafcass Cymru stresses that the guidance is "not designed to be prescriptive and should be used as an aid to inform practice".

Cafcass Cymru has also published separate practice guidance bringing together key principles, resources and tools to support effective engagement with families involved in private and public family court proceedings.