St Albans Child Contact Centre
About You
Information for Parents
If your family relationship has broken down you are probably looking for ways to build a new life but ensure that contact with your children is maintained. Children are the most important people involved in the Contact Centre and we provide a fun, friendly, trusting and confidential environment for families to meet.
There are two types of Contact Centre, supported or supervised and ours is a supported Centre. If you decide to apply you can either :
- contact a solicitor or family mediation services who will act on your behalf and make the necessary referral to us, or
- you can refer yourself to our Contact Centre. Please see our referrals page.
If you want to find out more about our Centre, you can call or email using the details below. You might like to visit the Centre when it is open on a Saturday morning, but you must make arrangements beforehand. Our welcome leaflet can be downloaded here.
Parents are responsible for the safety and supervision of their children at all times while at the Centre and no child may be left without a parent in attendance.
Please note that there is limited access for people with disabilities and you should check with us first.
There may be a waiting list of families but we will endeavour to accommodate you as soon as places become available.
For supervised centres please see the NACCC website.
Legal Aid
The National Association of Child Contact Centres can help with the following downloads:
https://naccc.org.uk/for-parents/legal-aid-templates/
About Legal Aid
The following websites may be useful if you are looking for information on Legal Aid.
Domestic Abuse or Violence website
Civil Legal Advice website
Accessing a legal aid solicitor or mediator
Find a Law Professional
Find a Local Mediator
Find Legal Advice
Please remember
• With young children; agree beforehand who is going to bring nappies, drink, etc.
• Please try to keep to the agreed times.
• Please ensure you are signed out when you leave the Centre.
• Please help to put away any toys before you leave.
• If the court order or agreed arrangements change, please bring any new paperwork.
• If you wish to bring food for your child/children, e.g. to celebrate a birthday, please let us know beforehand and we may suggest that you bring sufficient for all the children and have a small party.
• Please do not miss the session before Christmas as we arrange a small party with Father Christmas for the children. (We will remind you beforehand).
What are the rules?
The most important people are the children and we hope that they will have good memories and warm feelings about their visit. We try to have as few rules as possible. However – as the Contact Centre is used by several families at the same time, consideration for the comfort and safety of all users is important. Therefore, we’re grateful to families for following these guidelines which are there to help everyone maintain a friendly and warm atmosphere.
Rules for Parents
- You are responsible for the safety and supervision of your children while at the Centre. Volunteers are at hand to help if needed.
- Relatives and friends can only attend if they are named on the referral form, on a court order or previously agreed.
- All non-resident parents must arrive 15 minutes before the contact session start time. Resident parents must not leave their child(ren) until their former partner arrives.
- If requested the non-resident parent must stay behind for 15 minutes after the session has ended.
- If contact has been delayed for whatever reason, the session may still go ahead but only for the remaining time left.
- A child may only be taken from the Centre if this is stated on the referral form, on a court order or with the written consent of both parents. You must provide a contact telephone number when leaving with children during the contact session and when leaving children at the Centre.
- If you are under the influence of or carrying alcohol/drugs you will not be allowed onto the premises and will lose your place at the Centre.
- We do not tolerate bad language, racist or other offensive remarks, intimidation, abusive or aggressive behaviour including towards volunteers. We reserve the right to ask parents to leave and you may lose your place at the Centre. There must be no arguing in front of children.
- Please treat all information you see or hear at the Centre as confidential, we do!
- Smoking on the premises is not allowed.
- Photographs are only permitted with the permission of the resident parent and in the presence of, and permission of volunteers. For Child Protection and Safeguarding reasons; no photographs of other children, adults and volunteers should be taken whilst at the centre. Videoing is not allowed.
- Please ask one of our volunteers if you need to pass gifts or belongings, money or messages (either verbally or written) to your former partner.
- Please tell us if you make other arrangements for contact or if you will not be coming on a particular day. If you do not attend 4 contact sessions without informing us of a valid reason, your place may be withdrawn.
- Please note volunteers do not write reports or comment on contact sessions unless we feel there is a safeguarding issue. Only dates and times of attendance will be given out upon request.
- Supported contact is a temporary measure with the aim of re-establishing trusting relationships. You are expected to move on and make your own contact arrangements after a period at the Centre.
St Albans Child Contact Centre Policies
The Contact Centre Management Committee has drawn up a full set of policies for Child Protection, Health & Safety and other procedures at the Centre. These are available for you to view at any Saturday session – just ask the Team Leader on duty.