A new record high of care applications made in a month has been recorded by Cafcass.
In March 2017, Cafcass received a total of 1,288 care applications - a 4.3% increase compared with those received in March 2016.
The 1,288 applications were the highest ever recorded figure for a month following 1283 applications made in November 2016. However, since November, there have been fewer care applications made each month with 1,080 in December, 1,119 in January and 1134 in February this year.
However, overall this takes the total number of care applications for the financial year 2016/17 to 14,544, a 13.8 per cent increase on the 2015/16 figure of 12,792. The 12,792 applications represented a 15% rise when compared with the previous financial year.
ADCS and Cafcass recently launched guidance for social workers on working together in care proceedings following the steep rise in applications.
President of the family courts division Sir James Munby has previously said the courts were “ill prepared” for the rise in care applications and warned that there is no clear strategy in place to deal with the increasing number of court cases.
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