Dear Ministry of Justice, Shabana Mahmood,

COPY IN: Yvette Cooper, Sir Andrew McFarlane, Jackie Tiotto, Sarah McCarty, Albert Heaney,

Gillian Baranski, Nigel Brown, Colum Conway

We are writing to you following the recent revelations exposed in a BBC documentary highlighting the concerning inadequacy in the training of social workers in dealing with cases involving coercive control and domestic abuse within private child arrangement orders in Family Court. It has been disclosed that only two-thirds of social workers receive training in this crucial area, with the training provided ranging from one to a maximum of 20 hours, which is insufficient to effectively address the complexities of coercive control and domestic abuse present in family court proceedings.

The documentary further revealed that an alarming 90% of cases involving private child arrangement orders in Family Court contain elements of domestic abuse or coercive control. This lack of adequate training for social workers, including Cafcass officers, who play a pivotal role in these cases, raises significant concerns about their ability to identify, assess, and respond appropriately to cases involving domestic abuse and coercive control.

The implications of such inadequacies are far-reaching, particularly considering the serious consequences we have witnessed over the years, including tragic deaths resulting from unsafe contact arrangements and changes in residency. Moreover, the prevalence of cases where allegations of parental alienation are used to counter legitimate claims of domestic abuse further exacerbates the risks faced by survivors and their children within the family court system.

It is deeply troubling that social workers and Cafcass officers appear to possess knowledge of alienating behaviours often associated with mothers disclosing domestic abuse, yet lack the necessary understanding and training on coercive control and domestic abuse. This knowledge gap hampers their ability to effectively address and respond to cases where coercive control is present, leading to potential catastrophic outcomes for survivors and their children.

The failure to follow Practice Direction 12J, which requires investigations and factual evidence to be gathered in cases involving domestic abuse, raises serious concerns about the safety and well-being of survivors and their children. Survivors have reported being coerced into allowing unsafe contact with their abusers or facing changes in residency that jeopardize their ability to protect their children from harm. The retraumatisation of survivors through enforced communication with perpetrators under the guise of "high conflict situations" is unacceptable and demands urgent intervention.

We urge the Ministry of Justice to take immediate action to address these critical issues, including significantly enhancing training for social workers and Cafcass officers, ensuring compliance with Practice Direction 12J, and prioritizing the safety and well-being of survivors and their children in family court proceedings. An urgent investigation must be put in place immediately to determine the extent to which cases involving domestic abuse were raised and disregarded and the subsequent harm caused by these oversights. We expect feedback on the actions taken in this investigation, including details on the qualifications of social workers and relevant training on coercive control and domestic abuse.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your swift response and decisive actions to rectify these systemic failures and prevent further harm to vulnerable families.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Taylor