Children · contact
Supervised contact: how it works and who pays
Supervised contact is time a child spends with a parent while a trained worker stays within sight and sound and writes reports; supported contact is lighter, with no observation or reports[1]. Who pays depends on the case: a court order may name who pays, a referrer or Cafcass may cover it, or parents pay or share[2].
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01/ What it is
Supervised and supported contact: the difference
The National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) describes the two main levels of contact like this[1]:
| Aspect | Supervised | Supported |
|---|---|---|
| Used when | There may be a higher risk or more complex circumstances | Risk is assessed as lower |
| Staff | Generally within sight and sound of the child throughout | Staff or volunteers present, not observing |
| Reports | Observations made and reports written | No observations or reports |
| Setting | One-to-one, observed | Several families share the space; parents do not have to meet |
Other kinds of family time
Centres may also offer handovers (the centre as a drop-off point), virtual contact, indirect contact such as letters, and community family time outside the centre[1].
02/ Contact centres
Child contact centres and NACCC
NACCC is a registered charity that sets the National Standards child contact centres work to[5]. It accredits centres for supported contact and gives enhanced accreditation for supervised contact, with an assessor revisiting every three years[5]. Cafcass only uses, signposts to or recommends NACCC-accredited services[6].
Under the President of the Family Division's protocol, courts must tell parents that cases are only referred to accredited centres, which are listed on the NACCC website[3]. Every accredited centre holds a pre-visit assessment, seeing each parent separately, and a centre cannot be made to accept a referral[3].
03/ How it is ordered
How supervised contact is ordered
In court, supervised contact is decided as part of a child arrangements order case, the order that sets who a child spends time with and when[7][8]. Before the first hearing, Cafcass runs safeguarding checks with the police and the local authority and sends the court a safeguarding letter[9]. The court can also ask Cafcass for a section 7 report on the child's welfare[9].
Where domestic abuse is alleged, Practice Direction 12J tells the court to consider, before any interim contact, whether contact should be supervised or supported, and where and by whom[8]. If you and the other parent agree arrangements, the court can approve them as a consent order[10].
The court decides every child arrangements application on the child's welfare[11]. If you are worried about safety, domestic abuse support lists who can help, and the support lines are at the end of this page.
04/ Who pays
Who pays for supervised contact
NACCC says it depends on your circumstances[2]:
- sometimes the person or agency that referred you pays[2];
- a court order might set out who pays[2], and the protocol's model order names the person who must pay the centre's charges and who pays for reports of supervised sessions, one parent or both jointly[12];
- sometimes one parent covers the whole cost, or the parents agree to share it[2];
- sometimes Cafcass or social services cover the cost[2].
Charges vary between centres, and NACCC itself has no involvement with them, so ask the centre directly[2]. In domestic abuse cases, Practice Direction 12J asks the court to consider whether to order who meets any costs of supervision[8].
05/ Cafcass
What Cafcass does
Cafcass advises the court on safety before the first hearing and, if asked, writes a section 7 report[9]. When a Cafcass Family Court Adviser is working with your family, they may refer you to Enabling Family Time, a short service Cafcass commissions for the Ministry of Justice[4].
Enabling Family Time usually means up to three sessions of about 90 minutes, usually weekly, with a trained worker observing; the adviser then updates the court[4]. Further sessions can be arranged with the provider on a self-funding basis[4].
06/ Moving on
How supervised contact ends
Supervised centres expect to be a short-term stepping stone[3]. Contact may move on to a supported centre, or to contact in the community via a supported handover[3]. When contact moves out of a centre, a parenting plan is a written agreement that can set out the arrangements you both agree[13].
If the arrangement is in a court order, you can agree a change and ask the court to approve it as a consent order, or ask the court to vary the order if you cannot agree[14]. If the other parent is not following an order, see child arrangements orders on enforcement, and what happens after a C100 for the court steps.
07/ How long
How long supervised contact lasts
The protocol for courts says contact at a supported centre is usually for about 3–6 months[3]. Supervised centres expect to be short term, although supervision may be needed for longer[3].
Where a final order has no clear timetable, the parents should review with the centre after contact has run there for 3 months, and only in exceptional circumstances will contact continue at a centre after a six-monthly review[3]. In domestic abuse cases the court should consider whether contact should be for a specified period and whether to set a review date[8].
08/ Family members
Supervised contact by a family member
The court decides where contact happens and who supervises it[8]. Some families agree that a relative or friend will supervise; NACCC notes that, depending on circumstances, a mutually trusted person could help with handovers[1].
There is a firm limit[8]. Where a risk assessment has concluded that a parent poses a risk to the child or the other parent, contact supervised by a parent or relative, or at a supported centre, is not appropriate[8]. Referrals from the court go only to accredited centres[3].
09/ Questions
Frequently asked questions
Who pays for supervised contact?
Who pays for a child contact centre in the UK?
How long does supervised contact last?
Can a family member supervise contact?
What is the difference between supervised and supported contact?
Can a contact centre refuse a referral?
10/ Sources
Sources we checked
- Types of family time — NACCC
- Who pays for child contact centres and services? — NACCC · Why do some child contact centres charge more than others? — NACCC
- Judicial Protocol for referrals to child contact centres (November 2023) — NACCC
- Enabling Family Time — Cafcass
- About NACCC — NACCC · Accreditation and enhanced accreditation — NACCC
- Child contact centre policy — Cafcass
- Children Act 1989, section 8 — legislation.gov.uk
- Practice Direction 12J: Child arrangements and contact orders, domestic abuse and harm — justice.gov.uk
- Overview of our involvement as you go through the court process — Cafcass
- Apply for a court order (Making child arrangements if you divorce or separate) — GOV.UK
- Children Act 1989, section 1 — legislation.gov.uk
- Judicial Protocol for referrals to child contact centres (November 2023) — NACCC
- How an "Our Child's Plan" (formerly "Parenting Plan") can help — Cafcass
- Change or enforce an order (Making child arrangements if you divorce or separate) — GOV.UK
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12/ Safety first