They have to set contact of some sort up before they go for the interim care order if it's going to take some time.
My solicitor wasn't happy about the promised contact that was missed (by DD being taken back to the FC's after school and no one bothering to tell me, leaving me waiting outside the contact venue)
So the court doesn't always set them. They are agreed upon if possible by discussion between the parent, and the SS, and presented to the court. In my case DD was in voluntary care and i had open access, then when the epo was refused and the interim CO applied for, i had to wait to see her. Once they applied for the order, they set out twice a week contact, at first in the SS offices, then in the area the FC lived so DD wouldn't have to travel far.
Problem with that theory was that DD was attending school 2 mins walk from my house 
and there was an easily accessible family centre about 20 mins walk away or one bus ride, but no, they chose to make it hard and applied to use one miles away which was three buses for me. I only once was late to a contact in all the years we had to do it, and one time the contact clashed with a painful court appearance so they prevented it, because emotions were 'running high' only forgot to tell the supervising worker who sat at the centre for hours, waiting with a very distressed DD.
Then because they couldn't contact her, they sent the FC to the centre, who told DD that 'your mum couldn't be arsed to turn up'
I never got an apology for that.
Yes they do fuck you about and try to get away with as little contact as possible, in my own and all the other cases i've hear so i'm not making things up.
If you complain the first thing they do is cut the contact and say its because there is a risk you will project your anger onto the child.
Other people, maybe, but i never did, although i often got accused of talking to DD about the case (at 7 or 8 years of age yeah righty..)
In fact i got so pissed at the lies, i ended up saying to DD one time, i've been told not to say i love you, or that i want you home. But thats not right. I do love you, i want you home, i am fighting for you.
I told the court when i was dragged up on this, that i was accused, i may as well do, and i had a right to free speech as long as it wasn't harmful to DD..the judge said 'i agree you have no recourse to the accusations made, you can only deny them, true or not. They are not proven facts. Any mother would want their child to know they are loved and wanted, and the child needs to hear it. I want the statement rewritten to show that the mother has not (talked about the case at all) but has exercised her right to free speech and utilised it to reinforce to the child that she is very much loved and wanted'
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, SW's :P
People, if your child is in care ignore the threats of not telling your DC's you love or miss them. Its your right to say, and their right to hear it.