Independent social work fee capping

The British Association of Social Workers has spent the past year and a half working to resist the introduction of fee caps for independent social workers giving expert evidence in court.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) outlined its plans in a consultation in October 2009 to cap the fees charged by Independent Social Workers (ISWs) for their work as expert witnesses in family court proceedings to Cafcass rates of £33 in London and £30 outside the capital and the MoJ confirmed in March that these rates should be introduced from May.

BASW and its partners are currently urging ISWs to stand their ground over fees charged for their family court work by continuing to charge the appropriate fee for their work as part of demonstrating their worth and value to proceedings.

Find out more

6 July 2011    Attack on Family Justice Review plans to oust ISWs from courts  

17 March 2011    Family courts set to lose vital social work expertise

22 September 2010    Court fee cap is delayed for a month

16 July 2010   BASW’s letter to the Ministry of Justice’s Jonathan Djanogly MP

12 July 2010    BASW offers robust defence of “invaluable” independent social work role