CAFCASS
From receiving the worst possible rating to being outstanding a decade later , Cafcass CIO Robert Langley describes the organisation ’ s digital journey
Utilising the right technology has the potential to transform lives , but arguably nowhere is this as apparent as in the case of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service ( Cafcass ).
Cafcass works exclusively in England with children and families who are involved in the family courts . It employs about 2,300 people , with a flexible workforce to ensure that children ' s voices are heard in the family courts .
Appointed by the courts , the organisation works across private and public law and supports more than 140,000 children and young people each year .
For Robert Langley , who is Chief Information Officer at Cafcass and also part of the organisation ’ s corporate management team , technology is crucial to ensuring that children and staff are supported : from enabling hybrid working to providing case workers with the tools they need .
“ The main focus of my job is essentially to make sure that the technology that we ' ve got works when it ' s needed , as people want it to , and hopefully expect ,” he says . “ So , I ' m involved across the organisation , looking at all aspects of our work as a public body .”
Since joining Cafcass in 2008 as part of a small team of three or four people , Langley ’ s position - and the organisation itself - has gone through a great deal of change .
354 January 2023