Parents and carers guidance

We will always promote contact with your child if it is best for them, as our aim is to reunite families when and where appropriate. However, we will only promote contact if we believe it is in your child's best interests.

In some cases, this contact may need to be supervised. Where there are safety concerns and contact is not in the child's best interests, restrictions will be applied.

We will keep records of your contact visits so we can keep track of the progress that is being made in your family.

There are two reasons your contact may be supervised:

• if we need to do an assessment on your relationship with your child, someone may be present at your contact visits
• if we believe that the best way to make sure you and your child have a safe and enjoyable visit is to have someone else present.

If we believe that your contact visits need to be supervised, a social worker or contact supervisor will be present.

The contact visits may take place at:

• a contact date
• a neutral setting
• your home
• a foster home.

We will discuss with you the best place for the contact visits to happen.

We will set some rules to ensure that, during contact:

• the child or young person is safe both physically and emotionally
• a positive experience will be shared by both the child and parent.  

These rules will vary and will be explained to you by a social worker before the contact visits. Contact will be supported; if it is arranged, it is important that you attend.

You will be involved either by attending, if appropriate, or by completing a consultation document or by discussing the content of the looked after child review with your child's social worker.