The specialist team last year supported nearly 250 children and young people going through the family justice system of the Family Court and the Child Youth and Community Tribunal, which was described as a ‘notable increase’ with several cases of greater complexity and competing administrative and data protection demands.
But at times its team of six advisers, all qualified social workers, was at half-strength due to departures and sickness, leading to a backlog in cases, and it then overspent on its budget as it used locum advisers to fulfil statutory obligations.
In its annual report Fiona Ray, head of the service, said that a review of performance measures had now started to ensure that the service continued to meet the needs of children and families. It is also hoped that the staffing situation will improve during the year.
‘FPAS remains committed to safeguarding children, promoting their welfare, and supporting families through some of the most difficult circumstances they may face,’ she said.
The service’s role is to provide independent advice to the Family Court and the Child Youth and Community Tribunal, with a clear focus on safeguarding children and promoting their welfare.
Numbers of cases coming from this route are starting to decline, but they have been offset by increasing numbers of mediation cases.
They can be involved in proceedings over care of children in divorces going through the family court, incidents where there are concerns about a child’s safety and welfare, in adoptions and incidents of child protection.
At the start of 2025 the service was already working with 150 children across more than 100 cases, some of which had been active for years.
The service and its political masters at the Home Affairs Committee has been picked up for failing to publish its annual report for the past four years.
Home Affairs admitted, in response to a freedom of information request, that it had seen the reports at board level consistently over those years but they had not been uploaded to the States website, which was only recognised when the questions were raised.
They have now been published.
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