Family Time with Parents and Siblings

Also see Section 7, Suspension or Termination of Family Time.

Every Looked After Child should be encouraged and supported to maintain Family Time with their parents, siblings (including grandparents and half siblings), and Connected Persons in a manner consistent with the child's Care Plan; which, itself, must take account of any Contact Order that may be in force. There is a presumption of continued Family Time between the child and their family while the child is Looked After, unless it is not reasonably practicable or consistent with the child's welfare.

Family Time arrangements should be focused on, and shaped around, the child's needs. The child's welfare is the paramount consideration at all times and each child's wishes and needs for Family Time should be individually considered and regularly assessed. The wishes and feelings of the child should be ascertained, wherever possible, using advocacy and communication services if necessary.

So far as it is reasonably practicable, the wishes and feelings of the parents and the child's carers must be ascertained before a decision about Family Time arrangements is made.

Family Time may take the form of direct face to face Family Time and indirect Family Time through letters, cards, text message, internet messaging and social networking sites.

Family Time between children and parents or siblings may only be permitted if previously agreed by the social worker and should be set out in the child's Placement Plan (recorded on the Placement Information Record).

Arrangements for Family Time should always be clearly detailed in the Placement Plan, setting out how Family Time will take place, the venue, the frequency and how the arrangements will be evaluated and reviewed - see Section 3, Making Family Time Arrangements. Family Time via mobile phone and computers should be considered along with any risks associated with such Family Time.

Where Family Time is extended as part of a plan to gradually return the child to the parents' care, the Procedure on Placements with Parents should be followed. See Placement with Parents Procedure.

For foster carers providing short breaks, the foster carer must maintain Family Time as agreed in the short break plan.

Parents can be assisted with travelling expenses to enable Family Time to go ahead. The social worker, must consult with the fostering Practice supervisor to agree this. If /when agreed they should submit a request for financial support to the fostering Practice supervisor /his or her manager, with reasons.

Once the manager's approval has been given, the social worker should ask the team's administrative staff to arrange for the payments to be made, or travel warrants to be issued.

The need to supervise Family Time should be considered as part of the assessment and planning process by the social worker who will require approval from the Team Manager.

The primary focus of the assessment of this issue will be the safety and welfare of the child. Where supervised Family Time is deemed necessary, the reasons should be clearly recorded and the role of the supervisor or supervisors clearly defined.

A written risk assessment must be completed and approved before supervised Family Times begin. This assessment must take account of all factors that could impact on the success of supervised Family Time and relevant safeguards including:

• Any history of abuse or threats of abuse to the child, other carers, or staff
• Previous incidents of disruption or threats to disrupt Family Time or failure to co-operate with conditions agreed for supervised Family Time
• Previous incidents or threats of abduction
• Previous incidents of coercion or inappropriate behaviour during Family Time
• The transient or unsettled lifestyle of parents, as opposed to long-standing local connections.

Where any of the above features in the risk assessment, and supervised Family Time is to continue, the risk assessment must state the specific measures to be put in place to minimise risks.

Where supervised Family Time takes place, the detailed arrangements for the supervision must be set out in the Placement Information Record.

The child's social worker must make sure that the location chosen for Family Time can accommodate any restrictions set down. Locations should ensure the safety of the child and the supervisor.

If a parent's behaviour prior to Family Time or immediately before Family Time raises concerns, the risk assessment should be revisited. If it is considered that the planned Family Time may place the child at risk of physical or emotional harm, the Family Time should be cancelled and a review of Family Time arranged.

The Family Time agreement should state which adults will be allowed to attend the Family Time and that this will strictly be adhered to by supervisors.

Consideration should be given to how and when Family Time visits are ended.

The social worker should keep the Family Time supervisor informed of significant changes to the Care Plan, Court Proceedings and any decisions made about changes to the frequency of future Family Time as these are likely to be tension points where extra vigilance in Family Time is required.

The staff/carers and any other person involved in the supervision of the Family Time should have copies of the Placement Information Record and the agreement with the parents.

Several Factors must be considered in making arrangements for face to face Family Time:

• The child's wishes and feelings in relation to Family Time
• Any special needs of the child or parent; is the proposed building accessible?
• Is the proposed venue within a short travelling distance from the placement address of the child?
• Is the proposed venue accessible to the parent via public transport?
• Does the proposed venue have panic alarms other staff members available?
• Would the attendance of the parent pose a risk to other users of the building?
• Is the room child friendly, appropriate and safe for the age of the child and the activities planned?
• Consideration must be given to the purpose of the Family Time e.g. Family Time where rehabilitation home is planned may contribute towards the Child and Family Assessment. Parents should be encouraged to plan for their Family Time with their child, thinking of activities to undertake with their child and be offered advice and guidance both within and outside of the Family Time sessions
• Family Time may be arranged at variable times of the day particularly with babies and young children enabling the parent to undertake everyday tasks such as bathing and preparing meals
• Social workers should consider how best to enable the parent to build upon their skills with the support of the Family Time supervisor.

The Family Time session is recorded on the electronic system. The recording focusses on what is working well, any worries and the voice of the child. Parents receive feedback on a weekly basis so that they are clear on hoe Family Time is progressing. The parent should be made aware that the information recorded will be passed to the social worker and may be required in included within any court proceedings.

Where Family Time does not take place in accordance with the child's Placement Plan/Placement Information Record, there must be a good reason, for example that the child is too ill to attend. Wherever possible, the staff/carer should consult the child's social worker in advance if they consider there is a good reason to cancel the Family Time.

If Family Time is cancelled, the social worker or, if the social worker is not available, the staff/carer must ensure that the child and, as far as practicable, the parent is informed in advance and that the reason for the decision is explained. The social worker or Family Time Worker/carer should arrange an alternative Family Time if the Family Time is at a reduced level, e.g., once Monthly.

If Family Time does not take place and consultation has not been possible with the social worker, the Family Time Worker/carer must inform the child's social worker as soon as possible and confirm in writing the decision to cancel and the reason.

For details of suspension and termination see Section 7, Suspension or Termination of Family Time.

Contact arrangements must not be withdrawn as a Sanction imposed on a child.

See Sanctions Procedure.

Expectations on parents' for their attendance at Family Time should be detailed within the Family Time agreement. If parents fail to attend two consecutive Family Time sessions, the social worker should discuss the matter with their team manager. Consideration should be given to the reasons for the failed attendance and whether enough assistance has been given to support parents' attendance, e.g. travel warrant, or any special needs of the parent. If parents consistently fail to attend Family Time, a review of Family Time should take place and the Family Time agreement should be reviewed.

See Section 7, Suspension or Termination of Family Time.

The social worker and their manager should keep Family Time arrangements, including the continuing need for supervision, under regular review.

Any significant reactions that the child has to Family Time should be reported to the child's social worker by those observing Family Time arrangements, for example foster carers, residential staff and/or supervisors of Family Time.

The Family Time arrangements should also be reviewed at the Children in Care Review and in Review of the Child's Plan for a Child in Care. The child's wishes and feelings in respect of Family Time should be gathered.

Where a Contact Order is in force and it is considered that the Family Time arrangements set out in the Order should be altered, the agreement of the child and the parents should be sought and legal advice should be obtained as to the need to seek a variation of the Court Order.

A Family Time review should be convened if there are issues arising in Family Time or a parent is failing to attend Family Time sessions available to them. The Family Time review meeting should include the parent, social worker and Family Time Worker.

The risk assessment in relation to the arrangements for supervising Family Time must be reviewed at least every six months, or sooner, if any incident or report identifies concerns.

Where the child is the subject of a Child Protection Plan, the Family Time arrangements should also be reviewed as required in the Child Protection Plan.

Emergency restrictions on Family Time can only be made to protect the child from significant risk and must be notified to the placing authority (child's social worker) within 24 hours.

Where it is considered that the child's Family Time with the parents should be suspended or terminated, the social worker must be consulted, and legal advice should be obtained.

Any such proposal should be made in the context of the overall aims and objectives of the Care Plan.

Any proposal to suspend or terminate the Family Time should be considered as part of the review of the Family Time Service Agreement and/or the Children in Care Review, unless the circumstances require an urgent decision to be made.

Where it not possible to hold a Children in Care Review because of the urgency of the situation, the reasons for the proposal must be explained to the parents and to the child, and their agreement obtained if possible.

At the final review, the family will be given the opportunity verbally to feed back their views and opinions.

Where the proposal is to suspend the Family Time, the length and purpose of the suspension together with the basis upon which Family Time will be reinstated must be made clear.

The approval of the Team Manager should be obtained to any proposal to suspend or terminate Family Time.

Written confirmation of the decision made, together with the reasons, must be sent to the parents, child (depending on age) and any other relevant person (for example Advocate, Independent Visitor or Children's Guardian). Staff/carers and other agencies involved with the child's care must also be informed.

Where the child is the subject of an Emergency Protection Order Interim Care Order or Care Order, an application to the Court for authority to terminate the Family Time will always be necessary if Family Time is to be suspended for more than 7 days.

As soon as such a decision is made, Legal Services should be contacted as a matter of urgency so that the necessary Court action can be initiated.

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