Changes to Parenting information and perpetrator programmes
Thursday, 18 March 2010 14:00
Cafcass South West have announced as follows: The Government has decided to make parenting programmes (PIP) and domestic violence perpetrator programmes (DVPP) ordered by the courts, free at the point of delivery for all participants. These changes will come into effect from 1-4-10, for all group participants from that date. The government believes that these changes will increase the take up of contact activities. The hardship scheme will no longer be needed.At the same time the DCSF is giving CAFCASS the responsibility for making and managing the grants to contact activity providers.
There will be a new PIP leaflet available very shortly which covers these changes. The Cafcass leaflet ‘Staying in Contact’ now contains outdated information and further use will cause confusion about funding.
Cafcass will be issuing contracts for 2010-11 very soon. These will be very similar to existing arrangements, but they will now be able to ask for monthly invoicing which will give much more reliable updates on numbers.
They are currently in negotiation to bring in at least 10 additional PIP providers in the South from April, including coverage for all of Kent, E Sussex, North Wiltshire, Milton Keynes, and further centres through bids from NFM and Relate to cover other areas. DVPP will additionally become available in Somerset, Dorset, and Kent once those providers have passed Respect’s initial assessment. Updates will be available through the intranet and the published listings
Information and Guidance for Children and Adoption Act 1989 s11 A -P Contact Activities can be found at:
http://www.cafcass.gov.uk/system_page/contact_activities.aspx
