If your case is heard in a Child Focused court, Cafcass will now prepare a single Child Impact Report early in the process, usually within about eight weeks, and it replaces the old safeguarding letter and section 7 report. So the most thorough look at your child happens at the start, not months down the line. That changes how you prepare. Engage early, because the report often shapes the whole case.
This is part of the reform once called Pathfinder, now known as the Child Focused Model. Cafcass sits at the centre of it, and the President of the Family Division has described it as the most significant change to family law in a generation.
What a Child Impact Report actually is
A Child Impact Report, or CIR, is a welfare assessment written by a Cafcass social worker. It pulls together the child’s voice, a home visit, information from schools and health services, and any wider family context. Where domestic abuse is raised, a specialist may add a risk assessment. The report sets out what is happening for the child and what the social worker recommends. In short, it does the job the old section 7 report did, but sooner and in one document. It helps to read it with a clear idea of how reports like this are used in court decisions.
How it changes the timeline
Under the old Child Arrangements Programme you would get a brief safeguarding letter before the first hearing, then wait, sometimes for several months, for a section 7 report if the court ordered one. The new model front loads that work.
| Feature | Old approach | Child Focused Model |
| First assessment | Safeguarding letter, then a possible section 7 report | One Child Impact Report |
| Typical timing | A section 7 could take several months | Usually ready within about eight weeks |
| First hearing | First hearing dispute resolution appointment | Information and decision hearing, sometimes none |
| The child’s voice | Often heard well into proceedings | Child seen early, before the first attended hearing |
| Overall style | Adversarial, multiple hearings | Investigative and problem solving |
What it means for you as a parent
The early timing cuts both ways. One parent I spoke to assumed there would be months to prepare and was caught out when the social worker visited in week six. So show up ready. Be honest, be child focused, and avoid scoring points against the other parent. The court is asking a simple question. What is this dispute doing to your child, and what needs to change. If you can answer that calmly, you are in a stronger position. Where conflict is high, services that reduce conflict between parents can help you get there.
What it means for solicitors
For solicitors, the work moves to the front of the case. The CIR carries real weight, so the window to influence it is narrow. Questions to the report’s author are tightly controlled, and courts expect a problem solving approach rather than cross examination. Early advice matters more than ever, and how these services work alongside mediation is worth raising with clients at the first meeting. The government has put £17 million into the first year of the rollout and Cafcass is recruiting around 200 extra social workers, so capacity, not just procedure, will shape how cases run.
Where supervised contact fits
A Child Impact Report may recommend that contact is supervised while matters are assessed, particularly in cases involving domestic abuse or high conflict parenting. That is where we come in. Our supervised child contact sessions give the court safe, observed time, and our notes can become evidence used in contact decisions. We provide supervised contact services in the community rather than a clinical centre, and we offer arrangements for parents in demanding professions who struggle to fit sessions around work. If a report recommends supervision, knowing what to expect from a first visit makes it less daunting.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Child Impact Report take?
In most Child Focused courts the report is ready within about eight weeks, far quicker than the old section 7 route. Timing can vary with Cafcass capacity in your area.
Can you challenge a Child Impact Report?
Not freely. You usually need the court’s permission to put questions to the author or to ask them to give evidence, and you must act within the time the order allows. Raise concerns promptly and in writing.
Does it replace a section 7 report?
Yes. In participating courts the Child Impact Report replaces both the initial safeguarding letter and the section 7 report, bringing that work into a single early document.
Is the Child Focused Model used everywhere yet?
Not yet. It began as a pilot in Dorset and North Wales in 2022 and is rolling out across England and Wales over three years, so whether it applies depends on your court. You can check progress through the courts and tribunals judiciary.
Talk to us early
If a Child Impact Report has recommended supervised contact, or you think it might, the time to plan is now. Speak to our child arrangement team in the North West and email info@childarrange.com for a confidential conversation. We will explain how supervised contact works and how our reports support the court’s decision.