Cafcass and the FJYPB are winners at the 2023 Children and Young People Awards

Cafcass is delighted to announce that it has won the employer award and the Family Justice Young People's Board (FJYPB) have won the partnership working award at the 2023 Children and Young People Awards: 

• The Employer Award 

The Employer Award celebrates employers who show exceptional commitment to their employees. Cafcass is exceedingly proud to have won this award because it recognises the values and the priorities of both its practice framework, Together with Children and Families, and its practice and leadership quality standards. Cafcass adds that the quality and effectiveness of its services for children, families, and the courts is highly dependent upon the quality of the leadership, support, training, and supervision provided to colleagues. 

The Award also recognises the comprehensive employee wellbeing strategy at Cafcass, which includes a dedicated wellbeing team, influential staff diversity networks, recognition events, and additional wellbeing days away from the office for all departments. 

• The Partnership Working Award 

The Partnership Working Award is for organisations that demonstrate excellence in multi-agency working, which transcends boundaries to ensure the best interest of children, young people, and families.  

Cafcass are proud to sponsor the brilliant Family Justice Young People’s Board (FJYPB) who won this Award. The members have worked together with Cafcass, the judiciary and key partners across the Family Justice system to support and encourage the use of simple and accessible language that is respectful to children and their need to understand what is happening to them in proceedings. FJYPB members have created practice materials and developed the Word Busting Team, comprised of Cafcass staff and children, to reduce the use of insensitive language especially in reports and records about them which causes more confusion or does not help to explain things. This work has had a far-reaching impact on the letters Cafcass writes to children, in its recording, and in reports it makes to court. This helps children and young people to understand their family court proceedings and therefore makes it easier for them to influence and have their voices heard in the decisions about their lives. It also makes it easier and is more respectful if they choose to access their records now or later in life. 

In addition to both of these wins, John Traynor, a Cafcass Family Court Adviser, was shortlisted for the Safeguarding Children Award.  

Cafcass would like to congratulate all the winners and John for his nomination for this year’s awards. They all deserve thanks and recognition for their outstanding work to improve the lives of children and young people in family law proceedings.  

“I am delighted by our success at the 2023 Children and Young People Awards.  

“To win the Employer Award is an incredible achievement and reflects the commitment and dedication of so many people at Cafcass, who together, make it an even better place to work. Looking after the wellbeing of everyone who works at Cafcass is an essential aspect of doing the best we can for the children and young people we safeguard through court proceedings. 

“I love working with the members of the Family Justice Young People’s Board. Their passion for making things better for children and young people involved in the family courts and their ability to challenge us positively inspires all of us at Cafcass. I am absolutely delighted that their work has been recognised by the panel in awarding them the Partnership Working Award. It’s so richly deserved! Our heartfelt congratulations to everyone at the FJYPB! To receive this award is nothing more than what you deserve for all that you do to improve the experiences of children and young people!"

A full list of winners is now available to view on the  CYP Awards website.