New Contact Activity Provisions
The final provisions of the Children and Adoption Act
2006 came into force on 8 December 2008.
This provided courts with new powers to promote and monitor
contact, and enforce contact orders made under section 8 of the
Children Act 1989.
The programmes available for court directed/ordered contact
activities are detailed below. Individuals who are publicly
funded will not have to pay and will be fully subsidised by the
DCSF. Those individuals who are not publicly funded will have
to pay unless they can claim financial hardship.
Contact Activities
Mediation
Information about mediation will be provided
through an arrangement with existing Legal Services Commission
mediation providers so nationwide coverage is guaranteed. The
programme involves a one-off information/assessment meeting, which
is funded by the LSC in respect of those who are publicly
funded. Those who would suffer hardship if required to pay
will be funded by the DCSF.
Parenting programme
Making Contact Safe, Making Contact Work
designed to support attending parents with information on parenting
following separation, how it can affect them and their children and
how to change things for the better. The intention is to encourage
safe, beneficial contact between children and their parents. There
is, broadly, national coverage. This is funded by the DCSF in
respect of those who are publicly funded or who would suffer
hardship if required to pay.
Domestic violence perpetrator
programme
These intensive interventions are designed to
challenge and address participants’ violent and abusive
behaviour. The programme is an intensive (of about 60 hours’
intervention) and seeks also to engage with victims and (if any)
current partners. At the time of implementation of the Act
(December 2008), national coverage was not in place, as this new
form of provision is only emerging gradually. In particular,
there is a lack of provision in Cafcass’ central operational
area. We will work with providers to build coverage and meet
demand beyond the geographical areas providers currently
serve. This type of contact activity is also funded by the
DCSF, in respect of those who are publicly funded or who would
suffer hardship if required to pay.
Click here
for more information on Contact Activity providers.