Supervised Contact

Supervised Contact is a service provided to children who have been unable to see other family members, normally parents, as a result of family breakdown.  Contact is supervised by order of the courts perhaps due to concerns about the parents' capacity to understand and meet a child's needs or because the child has not had recent contact with, or known, the parent.  Supervised contact may also be offered as a short term intervention to monitor and assess the potential for progressing the contact into the community. 

To read about a personal experience of supervised contact at Families' House go to www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2007/07/05/105021/contact-centres-restoring-family-relationships.htm.

Naturally, the Supervised Contact process can be quite stressful for all concerned, however, Families' House can help by providing a safe, welcoming place for children aged 18 years and under to meet their parents, or other family members, from whom they are separated.  We aim to make this process a positive one for all concerned, particularly the children and we treat everyone equally without taking sides.

If you would like to find out more about this Service or make a referral, please click here, or contact us on the above telephone number and ask for Dawn Martinson, our Senior Social Worker.

Families' House provides five different contact rooms for supervised contact to take place, and these sessions are supervised by our in-house staff.  Families' House has an enhanced accreditation from the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) which allows us to provide this facility.

Referrals originate from The Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (CAFCASS), Norfolk County Council Children's Services and the Courts; we also accept a small number of private referrals from individuals or via solicitors.  The acceptance of referrals is dependent upon prior discussions with Families' House Director, Suzanne Bryant, or Senior Social Worker, Dawn Martinson, to ensure that the case meets our criteria.  We also need to check whether we have the availability to deal with the case and whether funding is available.  Unfortunately we are unable to consider cases where funding is not available or where there is no prospect of the contact being moved into the community. 

If you would like to discuss the possibility of supervised contact sessions being provided, please contact Suzanne Bryant or Dawn Martinson on (01603) 621702.
 

Our contact rooms all have a range of toys and play equipment for all age groups.  For older children we have air hockey, pool, a Wii, karaoke machine, table tennis and a variety of board games.  For younger children we have

imaginative play equipment, books, puzzles and materials for creative work.  All contact rooms have a kitchen area where drinks and light meals can be prepared.   We also have comfortable waiting areas for parents  who transport and accompany their children.