Cafcass — South West region: who will be involved in your family court case

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-27

If your child arrangements case is in a family court in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire or the former Avon area, the person reporting to the court on your child's welfare will be a Family Court Adviser from Cafcass, and you will be dealing with Cafcass's South West region. Cafcass (the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice: it safeguards and promotes the welfare of children in family proceedings and ascertains their wishes and feelings, then advises the court. This page explains how the South West region is organised, which offices serve it, and how to contact Cafcass, verified against the official cafcass.gov.uk website on 2026-08-27. It is general information, not legal advice.

What this service is

Cafcass does not run local offices with separate phone numbers — it is one national service. "Cafcass South West" is an operational region covering three named operational areas (A6, A7 and A8 in Cafcass's own service-area map):

Area A6 — Dorset, Hampshire & the Isle of Wight: led by Gentian Dyer, Assistant Director. Covers Southampton, Bournemouth Christchurch & Poole, Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth City.
Area A7 — Bristol & the central South West: led by Gentian Dyer, Assistant Director, with Nirmala Dutta and Victor Mangwende, Heads of Practice. Covers Bristol City, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bath & North East Somerset, Somerset, Wiltshire, Swindon Borough, Oxfordshire, Reading, West Berkshire, Slough, Bracknell Forest, Wokingham and the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead.
Area A8 — Devon & Cornwall: led by Gentian Dyer, Assistant Director, with Catherine Marren, Head of Practice. Covers Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth, Torbay, Somerset and the Isles of Scilly.

In a typical private-law case (child arrangements, prohibited steps, specific issue orders), a Family Court Adviser will:

Carry out safeguarding checks with the police and local authorities before the first hearing (FHDRA).
Meet the children and speak with parents, schools and professionals.
Advise the court — sometimes in a short report, sometimes via a full section 7 report — on what arrangement would be best for the child.

Important: Cafcass advises the court. It is not your solicitor and cannot give you legal advice, and it does not operate an out-of-hours emergency service. If you believe a child is at immediate risk of harm, call the police on 999; otherwise contact the local authority where the child lives.

Who it helps

Parents and carers in private-law family proceedings in courts across the South West (Bristol, Bath, Swindon, Gloucester, Exeter, Plymouth, Truro, Bournemouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, Reading and surrounding areas).
Children and young people whose welfare the court has asked Cafcass to advise on.
The family courts themselves, whose judges rely on Cafcass reports when making decisions about children.

How to use it (steps)

1. Wait for Cafcass to contact you after an application is issued — the court sends Cafcass the application, and a Family Court Adviser will phone you for a safeguarding conversation. You do not need to register or apply to Cafcass directly. 2. If you need to contact Cafcass first (e.g. you have received a letter or want to flag a safety concern), call the single national number: 0300 456 4000. Every Cafcass office — including all South West ones — is reached through this number. 3. Or message via WhatsApp on +44 7798 926 698 (9am–5pm Mon–Thu, 9am–4:30pm Fri), use the webchat on the Contact Us page, or email Telephoneenquiries@cafcass.gov.uk. 4. Expect the safeguarding stage: before the first hearing (FHDRA) the adviser checks police and local authority records and produces a safeguarding letter for the court. 5. Engage with the adviser — attend meetings, be honest, keep the focus on the child. Their report heavily influences the outcome, and you can respond to it in court. 6. Children and young people can give feedback on their experience through the free "Hear to Listen" line: 0808 175 3333 (9am–5pm Mon–Thu, 9am–4:30pm Fri). 7. If you are concerned about a child's safety outside proceedings, contact the local authority where the child lives — Cafcass cannot act as an emergency service.

Contact & location (verified)

Cafcass publishes one national contact number and postal address for all offices (verified on cafcass.gov.uk, 2026-08-27):

National telephone (all South West offices): 0300 456 4000, Monday to Friday 9am–5pm.
Post (all correspondence): Cafcass Post, PO Box 5076, Slough, SL1 0RX.
WhatsApp: +44 7798 926 698 (9am–5pm Mon–Thu; 9am–4:30pm Fri).
Email: Telephoneenquiries@cafcass.gov.uk.
Children's feedback line ("Hear to Listen"): 0808 175 3333.
Regional Assistant Director for the South West: Gentian Dyer (operational areas A6, A7 and A8).
South West offices (addresses per the official office locator — call the national number for all contact): - Bristol: Unit 9 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH - Exeter: Regus, 1 Emperor Way, Exeter Business Park, Exeter EX1 3QS - Plymouth: 8 Ford Park Lane, Plymouth PL4 6RR - Swindon: Units 1a & 1b York House, Edison Way, Swindon SN3 3RB - Bournemouth: Courts of Justice, Deansleigh Road, Bournemouth BH7 7DS - Portsmouth: Ground Floor, Peninsular House, Wharf Road, Portsmouth PO2 8HB - Reading: Glasson Centre, 319 Oxford Road, Reading RG30 1AU

Costs (honest)

Cafcass is free. There is no charge for safeguarding checks, meetings with a Family Court Adviser, or Cafcass reports — it is publicly funded through the Ministry of Justice.
Calls to 0300 456 4000 cost the standard landline rate (included in most mobile call allowances); 0808 175 3333 is free.
Court fees are separate: if you apply for a child arrangements order yourself, the court fee (currently £232) applies, unless you qualify for a fee remission (Help with Fees). See our court fees guide.
Watch out for anyone charging you to "liaise with Cafcass" or fast-track your case — no payment to a third party speeds up a Cafcass assessment.
If you need legal representation, that cost sits outside Cafcass entirely; see our legal aid guide.

How it fits your court case

Before the first hearing: Cafcass is the first public body involved after you issue an application at court — the safeguarding letter it prepares shapes what the judge decides at the FHDRA. Pair this page with our preparing for a hearing guide.
During the case: your Family Court Adviser is neutral. They are not there to side with you or the other parent; their job is to advise on the child's welfare. Free practical help at the courthouse is a separate service — see Support Through Court.
If you disagree with the Cafcass report: raise it with the adviser first, then tell the court — you can challenge findings at the hearing, with evidence.
Complaints: if you are unhappy with Cafcass's service, use the feedback route on the official Contact Us page. Complaining to Cafcass does not change your court case itself — that is a matter for the judge.
After proceedings: Cafcass's involvement ends with its report and any further orders; ongoing disputes may return to court, where a new assessment may be ordered.

Official links

YourFamilyCase.co.uk is an independent information directory — we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Cafcass, the Ministry of Justice, HMCTS, or gov.uk. Service details above are sourced from the official Cafcass website (cafcass.gov.uk) — including the find-your-local-office locator, the Contact Us page, and the published Service Areas and Operational Management map — verified on 2026-08-27; contact arrangements and office details can change, so always confirm directly with Cafcass before travelling. This page is general information and is not legal advice. Nothing on this page is an endorsement of any legal service, and Cafcass does not endorse this site.

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.