Swan Family Centres

Supervised Contact - Frequently Asked Questions

What is supervised contact? Supervised contact means that your contact with a child will be in the presence of a trained contact worker. Contact sessions are supervised by experienced members of staff who are trained to intervene when absolutely necessary in a professional manner. The staff member will also complete an un-biased factual observation report recording what happens during the contact. What is a supervised contact order? A child Contact Order can be made to give children the right to see both of their parents. The amount of contact and the arrangements made should take into account the situation immediately before the child Contact Order, if there is deemed to be risk the order will specify that Supervised Contact is required. When is supervised contact necessary? Supervised contact is used when it has been determined that a child has suffered or is at risk of suffering harm when spending time with a family member. Where do Supervised Contact Sessions take place? Supervised contact sessions take place either in one of our Supervised Contact rooms at a Swan Family Centre or close by in the community. Our contact centre rooms are individually themed and have lots of resources such as toys, arts and crafts, books etc for children of all ages and allow for a relaxed contact session which enables children to feel at home and safe and encourages positive interaction between children and parents. If Supervised contact takes place in the community, you would usually meet at the contact centre and visit somewhere within walking distance such as a park, accompanied by the Supervised Contact worker. How long can supervised contact sessions last? This is dependant on the court order and what is agreed in court. Why is supervised contact important? Supervised contact ensures the physical and emotional safety of a child. Supervised contact assists in building and sustaining positive relationships between a child and members of their non-resident family. Who pays for supervised contact? If a referral is made by the local authority then supervised contact sessions are usually funded. For private arrangements, the cost of supervised contact is covered by the parent as stipulated in the court order or as mutually agreed by the parents out of court. Can Grandparents have supervised contact? Yes this is possible but would be highlighted within the court order or as part of a mutual agreement between all parties. What is included in a supervised contact report? A supervised contact report covers a wide range of information, including Timekeeping (and ability to adhere to any special measures such as arriving early), Visual Check of the Child’s physical state, Physical Interaction between the parent and the child, any intervention made by the Contact worker, any disputes and how they are handled, the emotional impact of contact on the