Meetings

The Committee considered further information and noted that Cafcass Cymru has published guidance on ‘Children’s Resistance or Refusal to Spend Time with a Parent’ and provided training to its practitioners in how to recognise this issue, in the time that the petition has been under consideration. The Committee has also considered a significant body of correspondence and held evidence sessions with the petitioners, Cafcass Cymru and the (then) Deputy Minister for Social Services. Following a vote, it was the majority view of the Committee that there was little further which could be achieved during the remainder of this Senedd term and that the petition should be closed.

Neil McEvoy declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

He is a former service user of the petitioners and he has previously employed the lead petitioner.

The Committee considered further correspondence and agreed to write back to Cafcass Cymru to seek their response to the proposals for monitoring the implementation of the Children’s Resistance or Refusal to Spend Time with a Parent guidance, including the suggested indicators, made by the petitioners.

The Committee considered new practice guidance published by Cafcass Cymru and agreed to write back to them to ask how they intend to monitor the impact and effect of the guidance and ask whether they will be providing training to support practitioners.

Neil McEvoy declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

He is a former service user of Families Need Fathers/Both Parents Matter Cymru and he has previously employed the lead petitioner.

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to accept Cafcass Cymru’s offer of a copy of its practice guidance following its launch.

Neil McEvoy declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

He has been a service user and volunteer for Both Parents Matter; and

the petitioner currently works for him on a temporary basis.

The Committee considered correspondence from Cafcass Cymru and agreed to:

·         seek the views of the petitioner on the information received from Cafcass Cymru;

·         write back to Cafcass Cymru to request that a copy of the practice guidance is provided to the Committee when it is in its final form, and to outline the training and development opportunities that have been provided to Cafcass Cymru practitioners which cover alienating behaviours at that time; and

·         consider seeking further information from other organisations in this field.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Minister for Children and Social Services and the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee, together with comments from the petitioner and agreed to write to Cafcass Cymru to ask for an update on the development of new practice guidance and for details of how consideration is being given to adopting the approach of Cafcass in England, in light of the concerns expressed by the petitioners.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Minister for Children and Social Care along with further comments from the petitioner and Dr Sue Whitcombe and agreed to write to:

·         the Minister to ask for further information about the intentions of the Welsh Government and Cafcass Cymru in respect of:

• revising Pathways in relation to parental alienation in light of the work being undertaken by Cafcass England; and
• further developing training for front-line practitioners on identifying and dealing appropriately with alienating behaviours; and
• the Children, Young People and Education Committee to ask whether they have considered looking at this issue.

Huw Irranca-Davies AM, Minister for Children and Social Care

Albert Heaney, Director of Social Services and Integration, Welsh Government

Nigel Brown, Chief Executive, CAFCASS Cymru

The Committee heard evidence from the Minister for Children and Social Care, Albert Heaney and Nigel Brown.

The Committee considered the evidence heard and agreed to:

·         write to the Minister for Children and Social Care to ask for more detail of the future intentions of the Welsh Government and Cafcass Cymru to revise policies and pathways in relation to parental alienation, including training for staff; and

·         seek the views of the petitioners on the recent evidence received by the Committee.

• Paul Apreda, Petitioner
• Dr Sue Whitcombe, Chartered Psychologist

The Committee considered the evidence received and agreed to invite the Minister for Children and Social Care and CAFCASS to give evidence to a future meeting, and to consider gathering further evidence on the petition as part of a future discussion on the Committee’s forward work programme.

Neil McEvoy declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

He has previously had dealings with the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children and agreed to invite the petitioner to give oral evidence to the Committee with a view to inviting the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children to a future meeting. 

Due to time constraints the petition was deferred to the meeting on 19 September.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children to ask the specific questions raised by the petitioners.