Dozens of children caught up in bitter residency disputes are being put at risk of domestic violence because of failings in the court service set up to protect their interests.

An Ofsted inspection into the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), which examined the South Yorkshire region, concluded that the operation was inadequate, singling out for particular criticism its work in private law cases, such as parental contact.

Cafcass was set up in 2001 by Tony Blair to make sure that the wishes of children were properly represented in the family courts. Much of the work involves private law action, such as residence and contact disputes when parents separate. Ofsted found, however, that Cafcass staff were making a priority of public law cases, such as care proceedings and adoption. As a result, children caught up in residence and contact disputes were subjected to delays of many months or even years.

Allegations of domestic violence are common in these cases, yet Ofsted found that Cafcass advisers did not keep proper records of their interviews and research. Inspectors said that the advisers were not sufficiently alert to allegations of violence.

The risks were highlighted recently when a father from Runcorn, Cheshire, killed his two children and himself while waiting for their case to come to court. There had been allegations of domestic violence.

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