Memorandum of agreement

of 12 October 2000

The involvement of various group's representatives with CAFCASS, the body with responsibility for the Court Welfare Service, has caused the usual internal squabbles within groups, mainly caused by John Baker of FNF, when Oliver Cyriax of INPOWw had lead the campaign.

This is the first known occasion when FNF actually cooperated with another group, or were pressured into this.

Tony Coe of EPP has fortunately obtained agreement betwen the groups. Here is the agreement.

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT

Arising out of meeting to discuss a joint approach to CAFCASS

ATTENDEES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

John Baker (JB) representing Families Need Fathers (FNF)

Tony Coe representing Equal Parenting Party (EPP)

Oliver Cyriax representing INPOWw

Steve Fitzgerald representing ManKind

Elizabeth Lakey representing FNF

MEETING TIME/DATE: 6:30pm, 11 October 2000

MEETING VENUE: 38-40 Gloucester Road, Kensington, London, SW7 4QU

HEADS OF AGREEMENT

  1. The other organizations represented at the meeting ("this meeting") will send to INPOWw within 7 days a List of Contents they would like to see in the Training Manual.

  2. JB will today email FNF’s current draft Guidelines on Contact to the other organizations represented at the meeting for their input to be sent to JB within 7 days.

  3. INPOWw will prepare revised Training Manual with a view to agreement as to its contents being reached with all organizations represented at the meeting.

  4. JB will make best endeavours to get the Training Manual on the Agenda for the next CAFCASS meeting (scheduled for 9 November 2000). If opposed, JB will notify all attendees of this meeting at the earliest opportunity and in good time to enable endeavours to be made by other means to get the Training Manual on the Agenda.

  5. At the next CAFCASS meeting FNF will put forward 2 proposals:

  • Revised Training Manual (if agreed);

  • FNF’s Guidelines on Contact.

Attendees will confirm their agreement to the contents of this Memorandum by emailing confirmation to [email protected]

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT prepared by Tony Coe 12 October 2000