Since joining the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) as a newly qualified social worker (NQSW) eight months ago, Scarlett Clode hasn’t looked back. “I’ve probably learned more since I’ve been here than I did at university,” says the 23-year-old from Devon. “The training has been fantastic.”
Clode is one of a small cohort who have joined Cafcass’s unique programme for NQSWs. Launched in 2006, the scheme keeps numbers low to ensure tailored, individual support – 72 people have been through it so far. “I’m being developed at my own pace – if I don’t feel I’m ready for something yet, then that’s OK,” she says. “The training has also been very specific to me – I struggle sometimes with emotional resilience, and was helped with that as well as building my confidence.” Advice from senior practitioners is never far away: “The social workers are very experienced,” she says. “I’ve found that really helpful, learning from them, feeling inspired – it really is learning from the best of the best.”
So what does Cafcass, rated outstanding by Ofsted inspectors, look for in its NQSWs? “You must have a strong academic base, and we’re looking for more than a degree,” says Tammy Conn, head of practice (Staffordshire, Cheshire, Merseyside, Manchester and central intake team). “We want people who can work under pressure, who bring something extra with them. They must be able to reflect on their practice and have a continuing commitment to professional development.” Career changers may also have an advantage, as they bring life experiences with them – invaluable in the high-pressured environment of the family court, she says.
Launching your career as a children and family social worker with Cafcass opens up unique opportunities. Social workers work across both public and private law – an option denied to those who choose the more traditional route and work for a local authority. All Cafcass social workers are employed as family court advisers (FCAs) and, whether they are involved in public or private law, their role is always the same – they are in court to represent the voice of the child. Clode, who now has a mixed caseload, spent most of her first six months in private law, and has just started taking on public law cases that deal with local authority care. “When I was a student, I thought private law was just about what happens when families split up and where the child lives,” she says. “We do have cases involving access, and also others where the child wants to keep their second name, or relocation issues where a parent wants to move to another country with a child. We also get involved in cases of surrogacy.”
All NQSWs have a protected caseload. They have access to a physical and virtual library – requested books are delivered to their desk within 24 hours, journals and other research material within the hour. Clode says she was logged into her work laptop within 90 minutes on her first day – but she knows of graduates employed by local authorities having to wait a month before they were set up. “It just reduced anxiety – it meant I could get to work straight away,” she says.
There is a support network of NQSWs, which, according to Clode, has been invaluable: “It’s like group supervision,” she says. And all NQSWs have higher-level supervision than other FCAs. “Because our NQSW numbers are small, they can be embedded in a team with a smaller caseload and they are supported and protected on the assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE) that all social workers do. That’s why it’s such a great opportunity for them here,” says Conn. “They usually realise quite quickly just how lucky they are because they get a really good grounding working for us.”
NQSWs start on £28,728 – rising to £33,147 after 18 months – and spend most of their first year working in private law, as they gradually build up a mixed caseload. The second year can include placement with a local authority children’s service to acquire a different professional perspective, before returning to Cafcass in the final year.
As a national organisation, career opportunities are second to none. There is a clear pathway from practice supervisor right to the top assistant director roles. And its emerging talent programme is an alternative for those more interested in following a research and development route. Also, as the NQSW programme is academically accredited, completing it results in a postgraduate certificate in professional practice and can lead to opportunities to go on and study for a master’s degree. Flexible working and working from home is routinely supported, while other benefits include access to qualified personal trainers and nutritionists, all of which is part of a unique employee wellbeing offer.
But for Clode, the biggest draw of Cafcass is being the voice of the child. “The family court can often be parent and adult led. To be able to put a halt to that and say: ‘This is about the child’ – there is nothing better than that.”
