CHILD CONTACT SERVICES

Guidelines for Referrers

 Bangor Child Contact Centre is open on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month between 10.00am and 12.00pm.  Rhyl Child Contact Centre is open on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month between 11am and 1pm.

Our Child Contact Centres offer supported contact only, if you require supervised contact please get in touch using the addresses below. Supported contact takes place in neutral venues where there are facilities to enable children to develop and maintain positive relationships with their non- resident parents and other family members, for example grandparents. Supported Child Contact Centres are suitable for families when no significant risk to the child or those around the child has been identified.

Referral Process

 A fully completed referral needs to be returned to the address below, for self- referrals we require individually completed forms from both parties. We will need payment in full in order to progress the referral.  Once received and payment made, your referral will be risk assessed and, if appropriate, will advance to the next stage. You will be notified at this point if your referral has been refused.

 Both parties will then be invited to attend separate pre-contact visits to meet with the Coordinator at the centre of your choice and there will be the chance to talk in more detail about the service. It is after this that a decision will be made as to whether the referral is appropriate for the service. The referrer will be notified of the decision and both parties will be contacted to agree a start date for attending.

 If there is a waiting list for the centre the referrer and both parties will be notified and given the approximate waiting time.

 Our Supported Child Contact Centres offer six contact sessions per referral, there is the opportunity to review your case with the Coordinator and if appropriate purchase a further six sessions.

 See our Pricing Structure for fees and Cancellation Policy

 All correspondence should be sent to: Relate Cymru, Child Contact Service, Eryl Wen, Eryl Place, Llandudno, LL30 2TX or [email protected]

Please note as contact centres are only open two Saturdays a month it can take up to 6 weeks from receipt of referral to a final decision being made.

The basic elements of supported contact are:

 Parents are responsible for their children at all times whilst they are at the Child Contact Centre.

 Impartiality.

 Staff and volunteers are available for assistance but there is no close observation, monitoring or evaluation of individual contacts/conversations.

 Several families are usually together in one or a number of rooms.

 Encouragement for families to develop mutual trust and consider more satisfactory family venues.

 Apart from attendance dates and times, no detailed report will be made to a referrer, CAFCASS Cymru, a party’s solicitor or Court, unless there is considered to be a potential risk of harm to the child, parent or Centre worker.

 Only people named on the referral form will be allowed admittance to the Child Contact Centre. This may be varied by written agreement by both parties.

 To try and maintain a friendly, impartial and confidential environment, we would request that you do not at any time ask to see your clients on our premises without prior agreement.

Our Child Contact Centres will not knowingly accept a referral when somebody involved has been convicted of any offence relating to a) physical or b) sexual abuse of any child, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

1. Please ensure that both parents have read and understood the Child Contact Centre’s information leaflet in advance of making a referral.

2. We reserve the right to reduce or terminate contact if it is felt to be in the best interest of the child.

3. Parents should be informed that because the welfare of the child is paramount, there might be times when contact cannot take place if the child is too upset even if there is a contact order.

4. Referrers should make arrangements for the provision of an interpreter where Welsh or English is not the first language of the family involved and problems may arise with communication.

5. Please notify us, either by email or letter (addresses at the top) if the contact is going to cease.

This Centre is a Member of the National Association of Child Contact Centres and operates in accordance with its National Standards for Child Contact Centres. We have working policies on the following:

 Child Protection.  Confidentiality.  Health and Safety.  Equal Opportunities and Diversity.  Domestic Violence.  Volunteers.  DBS Disclosures  Data Protection

All these policies are available to view at the Centre or by request. There is also a Complaints procedure, which can be used should you wish to.