Form C1A — the safeguarding and welfare concerns supplement
REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-09-01
Form C1A is the supplementary form filed with a C100 child-arrangements application where there are safety or welfare concerns — allegations of domestic abuse, child abuse, substance misuse, or other risks. If C100 is the application, C1A is where you tell the court what the risks are.
When you must complete it
- Any allegations of domestic abuse between the parties (PD12J applies — the court must undertake a holistic assessment of patterns of coercive and controlling behaviour, not just incidents).
- Any concerns that the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering harm.
- You can also use C1A to add context the CAFCASS safeguarding checks may have missed — the safeguarding letter is short and is filed at least 3 days before the first hearing (CAFCASS checks police records and speaks to the parties by telephone before the FHDRA).
What the form covers
- The nature of the concerns (abuse type, who against, when).
- Whether there are (or have been) police, local-authority or court involvements — include case numbers where you have them.
- What contact arrangements you believe are safe, and why — for abuse allegations, propose arrangements that protect the child and the alleged victim (PD12J presumption: contact that places a child or the other parent at risk is not in the child's best interests).
Practical realities
- The court sends the sealed C100 and C1A back to the applicant with the Allocation & Gatekeeping Order and the C6 hearing notice; the respondent gets a C7 acknowledgement asking (among other things) whether the child has suffered or could be at risk of harm.
- Be factual and chronological. Vague accusations invite a finding that the concerns are not "clearly founded"; over-claiming damages credibility for the allegations that matter.
- If you need urgent protection, ask about a without-notice application and PD12J protective measures (screening, separate waiting rooms, video links). An urgent C100 with C1A costs £270 in fees (2026); EX160 fee remission may apply.
Independent general information — not legal advice. Forms change: download the current C1A from gov.uk and read the notes on the form itself.