3.5.1 Contact including Supervised Contact Policy and Procedure

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This chapter applies to arrangements for children placed in foster and residential care to have contact with their birth family and significant others. It was agreed within the Directorate in November 2010 and included in the manual in April 2011.

For arrangements for social visits and overnight stays away with friends which staff/carers may agree, see Social Visits and Overnight Stays with Friends Procedure.

1. Policy Statement

1.1	Coventry City Council will always promote contact with children 'Looked after' and maintain links with their birth family and significant others unless it can be demonstrated that it is not in the child's best interest.
1.2	This procedure informs staff of the appropriate courses of action to be taken in the promotion of positive contact and the steps to be taken where restrictions are required.

2. Legislation, Regulations and Guidance

2.1	This policy is informed by the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 (which became effective from 1 April 2011) and associated guidance, Children Act 1989 (Sections 8, 9, 10, 33 and 34), Care Standards Act 2000 and Financial Regulations.

3. Definitions

3.1

Contact is the term used to cover the formal arrangements by which a looked after child or young person is able to keep in touch with parents, other family members and significant others. Contact may be direct (i.e. face to face, phone calls, texts or e-mails) or indirect (i.e. letters or cards). The local authority decides the frequency and venue of contact, and whether it is supervised or not. Current practice assumes a strong principle, supported by legislation, that contact is a right of the child, is generally beneficial and should be promoted, unless it is not in the child's best interests.

Quote taken from the Every Child Matter multi agency working glossary

3.2

"Supported contact provides general services for facilitating child contact with the non residential parent in a neutral and pleasant environment. Supervised contact is a professional service providing assessment and family support, and is invariably ordered by the Court and other professionals, when there is a medium to high risk (of abuse, violence or abduction), to both the children, the resident parent and other family members, following family breakdown".

Child Contact Working Group - Lord Chancellor's Department 2002

4. Introduction

4.1	The purpose of contact is for the Looked After Child to maintain links with her/his family and significant others.
4.2	The interests of the majority of looked after children are best served by sustaining or creating links with their birth families including wider family members. Consideration of contact is an essential element in the planning process. Managing contact can place emotional and practical strains on all parties involved, which is why there should be a clear understanding from the outset about the arrangements for contact and what is expected of the parents, the responsible authority and the child's carers in connection with those arrangements.
4.3	The responsible authority has a duty to endeavour to promote contact between the child and their parents, any person who is not a parent but who has parental responsibility for the child, and any relative, friend or other person connected with the child, unless it is not reasonable practicable or consistent with the child's welfare.
4.4	So far as is reasonable practicable, the wishes and feelings of the child (if s/he is old enough), the parents and the child's carers must be ascertained before a decision about contact arrangements is made.
4.5	The assessment of the child will identify those people in the child's network with whom it is important to maintain contact. In some cases it may be appropriate to identify relatives (who may include a parent with whom contact has been lost) and to follow up the prospects of re-establishing contact. Care will clearly be needed where there is a family or marital conflict, but responsible authorities should be ready to explore the possibility of preserving, establishing or promoting contact which could be beneficial to the child. In doing so they should not overlook problems which may arise when a child is placed with a person who may be reluctant to allow contact with, for example, wider relatives or friends of the child. The child and his/her carers may need support to manage these situations.
4.6	The first weeks during which the child is looked after by the responsible authority are likely to be crucial to the success of the relationship between the parent, the social worker and the child's carers, and to the level of successful future contact between the parents and the child. It is at this time that patterns become set which may be difficult to change. Parents should be involved in planning for contact prior to placement wherever possible and should be provided with information about possible sources of support for contact.
4.7	Placements made in an emergency require special care if parents are to be reassured from the outset that they have a continuing role in their child's life and to minimise distress for the child. Early visits are essential though parents may need help to cope with both their own and their child's distress.
4.8	Where adoption/permanence is being considered as part of the Care Plan, social workers must involve the fostering/adoption team at the earliest opportunity to discuss the impact of future contact plans/options in relation to family finding plans.
4.9	The term 'Contact' can mean; Face to face contact supervised or not. Telephone contact Exchange of letters, cards, presents, photographs Indirect contact including any communication exchanged via a third party.

5. Care Planning

5.1	Given so many forms of communication could fall under the umbrella of the term 'contact' it is essential social workers are clearly evidencing what 'contact' means for individuals when writing their plans.
5.2	Contact arrangements must be child focussed and reflect the plan for the child: Be meaningful and of direct benefit to the child Include expectations of parents If contact is part of an assessment this should be clear Signify the extent of any supervision required. Support the child in their new family Never be used as a sanction or punishment Be flexible enough to allow for changing needs Be reviewed regularly with all parties.
5.3	Regularly scheduled visits are an important aspect of minimising the trauma of separation, the younger the child the more important it is that the schedule be consistent. Children's Social Care will promote, encourage and facilitate contact; ensuring contact is child friendly and meaningful for all involved.
5.4	Contact is important for: - Enabling the child to develop an understanding of why the separation has happened Facilitating the grieving process Maintenance of a child's identity Assessment of Parent-child attachment Assessment of relationships Assessment and promotion of parenting skills To facilitate rehabilitation Strengthening attachments and bonds
5.5	For the majority of children the aim from the onset will be reunification within the family unit, provided that it is safe and practical. Good quality, consistent contact is central to successful reintegration into the family unit, therefore developing and maintaining close links between the child and their family.
5.6	We encourage contact between child/children and their birth family to promote a child's or children's identity/family links always considering the child's best interest. It is increasingly recognised that the formation of individual identity and the child's ability to resolve identity issues depends on the acknowledgement of biological roots and heritage.
5.7	Arrangements for contact with grandparents and other people with connection to the child should be recorded in the care plan. Grandparents and other relatives can provide a sense of family history and continuity where the child cannot live with his/her birth parents yet contact may easily be lost if the child becomes looked after.
5.8	There is a specific requirement for the care plan to set out arrangements for the child to maintain contact with brothers and sisters who are also looked after by the responsible authority but with whom it is not possible for the child to be placed, so far as this is consistent with the child's welfare. Maintaining contact with siblings is reported by children to be one of the highest priorities but it requires the active involvement of social workers and children's carers to facilitate this contact in a way which supports the development of healthy sibling relationships between children who are not able to live together.