Parents who are separating now have access to an improved tool, the revised Parenting Plan, to help ensure their focus remains on the needs of their children and avoids them being trapped in the middle of feuding adults. Child safety and security is central to the plan which looks to halt the escalation of disagreements and potential courtroom battles which serve to negatively affect the child.
Cafcass published the revised plan in early March. The plan gives parents the opportunity to work together to make the arrangements for their child that work best. Cafcass introduced the first version of the plan in 2005 and has refreshed over time to reflect best practice and legislative changes. Following the Family Justice Review there has been wider recognition that parents are best placed to make their own decisions when it comes to their children. This is reflected in the forthcoming Child Arrangements Programme (CAP), with parents expected by the judiciary, should they wish to make an application to court, to have engaged well with a Parenting Plan.
The plan helps guide parents into making decisions about arrangements for their children. It covers practical issues such as living arrangements, holiday and sporting activities, health and emotional care, and helps parents identify what their child needs now, and what will benefit their child long term.
Mike Coote, National Commissioning & Partnerships Development manager, said:
"Resolving a dispute about the arrangements for your child after separation, when emotions are running high, can be hard to do, which is why Cafcass, working with our partners, has developed the new and improved Parenting Plan.
"The skills that are developed as part of the plan are not ones that parents will learn in court, that can be ordered, or that can be deployed on their behalf; parents need to see and experience them for themselves and to go on to use them independently."
With the onus on the parents to progress the plan, Cafcass has ensured that safety of the child runs throughout and that it is a tool which is sustainable and adaptable. While there is widespread support of the Parenting Plan by agencies and the judiciary, completion of the plan will only be suggested where there are no risk issues.
Family Justice Minister Simon Hughes MP, said:
"When people separate we want them to do it in the least damaging way for everyone involved, especially children, by avoiding confrontational court battles and using other options when they are suitable. The Cafcass Parenting Plan is another crucial tool in making that happen."
The plan recognises that working cooperatively at a particularly acrimonious time can be very difficult and employs skills based on behaviour modelling training to diffuse situations and stop them from becoming volatile and damaging for the child. The plan can be started individually or with both parents working through the plan together.
It features online modules to help teach parents to adapt their communication style, including listening more and staying calm when involved in a dispute and provides a step by step guide to negotiating constructively, and always with the child in mind.
Mike continues:"The plan is intended to help any parent, whatever their situation, develop better communications skills, to improve understanding of their child's needs and equip parents to work together to improve the outcome for and lessen the impact on their child."
There are many changes coming into place in the sector and this is a means to where parents can access support, free of charge, but also develop long-term skills that can help them in their own future relationships with others.
Cafcass has led the way in ensuring that the Parenting Plan reflects the way people access information today and has produced an online version, in addition to a print copy. The revised plan will be reflected in Getting it Right for Children, a skills development programme produced by One Plus One and hosted by the Parent Connection, that will help to develop the skills needed to complete a plan and to parent after separation.
Visit Cafcass for more information on the Parenting Plan. To access the Plan online click here.
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