Tier 4 and supervised contact..

[Pebbledashery]

Posting for traffic.
Does anyone know how tier 4 will affect supervised contact arrangements. My DD currently has supervised contact in the community with her father but the place they normally have contact is now going to close due to it being a non essential place. Obviously ex partner and the social worker are not from the same house hold or support bubble... My solicitor is off for Xmas now so just wondering if anyone can help answer.

Arrangements like this are allowed to continue despite the tier 4 situation- the rules specify these as exceptions:

• for arrangements where children do not live in the same household as both their parents or guardians

• to allow contact between birth parents and children in care, as well as between siblings in care

So it is certainly permitted for the non-resident parent, the child and the supervising adult to all be gathered in the same indoor location. Identifying a venue where the contact can take place is a separate problem but the gathering is legal if a place can be identified.

If it’s the social worker supervising the contact I would imagine it would still go ahead.

If it’s the contact supervising team, I know in some LA’s there has been some issues in contacts taking place over the lockdown period.

In terms of the government guidelines, it will be able to go ahead.

That is essential and should still be going ahead.

Location will just end up needing to be changed