Cafcass — South East & Central: what they do in your family court case

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-27

What Cafcass is

Cafcass (the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) safeguards children's interests in family court proceedings in England. After a C100 application the court asks Cafcass to run safeguarding checks and produce a letter for the first hearing (FHDRA); a Family Court Adviser (FCA) may then be appointed, and in care proceedings a Children's Guardian acts for the child.

The South East & Central region

Verified from Cafcass's official operational areas map (cafcass.gov.uk):

Area A6 (Thames Valley / central southern) — Bracknell Forest, Bristol City, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Reading, Slough, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, West Berkshire, Wiltshire, Wokingham, Windsor & Maidenhead, North Somerset, Bath & North East Somerset. Assistant Director: Gentian Dyer; Heads of Practice: Nirmala Dutta, Victor Mangwende.
Area A16 (South East coast) — Brighton & Hove, East Sussex, Surrey, West Sussex. Assistant Director: Michael Kemp; Head of Practice: Hari Michael.
Area A17 (Kent) — Kent, Medway. Assistant Director: Richard Morris; Head of Practice: Laura Holden.

How to contact Cafcass

National telephone (all regions): 0300 456 4000 — Mon–Thu 09:00–17:00, Fri 09:00–16:30 (excluding bank holidays)
WhatsApp: +44 7798 926 698
Email: Telephoneenquiries@cafcass.gov.uk
Children's line: 0808 175 3333
Office finder: cafcass.gov.uk/contact-us/find-your-local-office

How to work with Cafcass well

Be honest and consistent (checks will verify what you say); stay child-focused; respond promptly; never use your child to deliver messages; keep records of contact and agreed steps.

Official links

https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/contact-us
https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/contact-us/find-your-local-office
https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/cafcass-operational-areas-map
https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/parent-carer-or-family-member

This page is general information, not legal advice. YourFamilyCase.co.uk is an independent information directory and is not affiliated with Cafcass, HMCTS or gov.uk.

Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.

What happens next with Cafcass

In most applications about children, Cafcass carries out safeguarding checks before the first hearing and sends the court a short safeguarding letter. The court may later ask for a fuller welfare report, often called a section 7 report. You can read the report carefully and respond in writing to the points you disagree with, one by one.

EvidenceCanvas, an online tool for people who represent themselves, has a plain-English explainer: Cafcass section 7 reports explained. It is not legal advice.

YourFamilyCase and EvidenceCanvas are both owned by Noverquis Ltd.