ProContact

ICFA can only be accessed through a referral by Cafcass, parents cannot self-refer. Some families need help agreeing safe, beneficial and sustainable child arrangements because they find it difficult to organise this on their own.

ICFA work has four expected key outcomes for families: 

• Reducing barriers and resistance to agreeing arrangements and managing any risks so that these are safe 

• Promoting positive communication within families 

• Ensuring children’s wishes and feelings are heard and considered 

• Helping families agree a Parenting Plan to avoid future issues arising 

ICFA work is a short intervention and can include: 

• Direct work with parents together or individually to help resolve parental conflict, support learning about good co-parenting and prepare them for their child/ren having contact 
• Direct work with child/ren to prepare them for contact 
• Observation of the parent spending time with the child/ren in a contact centre, the home, the community, or any other suitable settings

We are the leading provider of ICFA for the North and West of England. We work in partnership with other organisations who deliver the work across the region and deliver work with families directly too. Further details about ICFA can be found on the Cafcass website Home – Cafcass – Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service or view factsheets (link at the bottom of the webpage ‘ICFA factsheet – For Adults’ and ‘ICFA factsheet – For Children’)

Planning Together for Children is a course that supports parents to think about the needs of their children first when they are working out how they can parent together, as they are separated. It supports parents to think carefully about what is in children’s best interests and to do their best to work together to protect children against some of the harmful effects of parental conflict.

• Planning Together for Children encourages parents to think about how they can communicate and work together to agree parenting arrangements without the need for more court hearings.
• The course helps parents, or those who care for children, to understand how disagreements and arguments can affect children.
• Parents may be ordered, or directed, to complete Planning Together for Children by a family court. The course is free. Parents cannot refer themselves to the course.
• CANW supports parents in Cumbria, Greater Manchester and Lancashire to complete the course.
• For more information, please visit the Cafcass website Home – Cafcass – Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service or view factsheet (link at the bottom of the webpage ‘PTC Factsheet’)

What does Planning Together for Children involve?

• Stage One is for parents to complete an e-learning course online, in their own time (taking up to two hours). This focuses on topics such as what happens if parents go to court, understanding and managing emotion, how separation affects children, and looking at things from a child’s point of view.
• Once Stage One is complete, parents take part in a workshop (Stage Two) with other parents for more learning and discussion. These workshops are delivered online as a live video call. It covers topics such as understanding the impact of conflict on children, how separation affects children, and communicating in positive ways.
• Finally, the course introduces parents to an interactive online parenting plan. The plan encourages agreement over sharing the care and support of children. The parenting plan is an optional part of Planning Together for Children however sometimes Cafcass or Court have told parents to complete this.

If there is no one to support child arrangements, then professional supervised contact may be suitable. This may be when there are risks, there has been a long gap in contact, when a child is reluctant or when parents cannot find a solution themselves. We support children who live with a parent, are in Foster Care or who are living with a connected person.

We offer professionally supervised contact at our centres that are accredited by NACCC.  Summary reports of the sessions can be provided to support decisions about child arrangements. Staggered arrival and departure times are in place to ensure that children do not witness conflict. Sessions can take place face to face in our centre in Bolton or Blackburn. These sessions are up to 90 minutes. The price is £125 per session or £225 to include a summary report.

This is a fortnightly service which takes place at our Bolton centre. The session runs from 09.00-10.45 with the visiting parent arriving at 08.45 and leaving at 11.00.

The price is £40 per session which includes an attendance record.

Supported Contact supports children and parents to spend time together within a contact centre. Staff are present but do not listen or observe individual children but rather have an overview of the whole group. Direct observations are not made, and reports are not written. Staff are present to ensure the comfort of those engaging in the service. A range of toys and activities are provided for all age ranges.

This is a fortnightly service which takes place at our Bolton centre. There are two options with handovers 09.00-10.45 or 09.00-14.00 with the visiting parent arriving at 08.45 and leaving at 11.00 or 14.15.

The price is £30 per session which includes an attendance record.

Supported Handover supports children and parents when an independent handover is difficult. Parents can handover their children either face to face or through staff before unsupervised contact takes place. Direct observations are not made and reports are not written.

Spring (Separated Parents Resolution, Information, Navigation, Growth) is a bespoke support intervention programme that helps co-parents improve child arrangements and their communication and reduce conflict through a Parenting Plan. Parents work together with a Family Practitioner to improve things for their child/ren by offering conflict resolution. When conflict is not resolved and arrangements do not work well, it can have a negative impact on children. To be eligible for this free programme parents must meet the criteria as outlined on the factsheet including a child or parent living in Blackburn with Darwen.