Exploring Expertise: Achieving safe and meaningful contact

THEME

“The key aim of the Safe and Meaningful Contact Guidelines is not to determine whether direct contact should take place or not but to determine how contact can be supported to meet the child’s recovery needs, provided it is safe”.

Clinical Psychologists, Anne and Chris, discuss psychological factors that are key to ensuring the needs of traumatised children are kept at the centre of decision-making related to contact arrangements for children in local authority or permanent care. They consider the potential of contact as a resource to facilitate the child’s developmental recovery and the importance of appropriately supporting contact to ensure it is safe and meaningful for the child. 

Anne and Chris introduce the Safe and Meaningful Contact (SaMC) Guidelines, a framework to organise thinking about contact arrangements around the developmental needs of children and young people no longer living with their birth parents. The guidelines identify the level of support required for the child, carer and birth relative to ensure contact safely benefits the child or young person’s recovery from traumatic life experiences. The guidelines also identify circumstances when provision of support would be insufficient to ensure contact is safe in an appropriate timescale.

PRESENTERS

Dr Chris Burke and Dr Anne Woodhouse, Clinical Psychologists, regularly provide expert witness psychological opinion within child and family law to both the court and children’s panels in Scotland. They are frequently instructed to assess the impact of residential and contact arrangements upon the psychological wellbeing of the child.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Professionals involved with decision making related to contact arrangements for children separated from their birth parents including: Social Workers, Mental Health Professionals, Solicitors, Magistrates, Family Court Advisers, Counsel, Children’s Panel members, Children’s Reporters, Child Welfare Reporters, Safeguarders, Guardian ad Litems, Sheriffs.

Carers of children no longer living with their birth parents including: adoptive parents, kinship carers, special guardians, and foster carers.

Members can watch recordings of previous Exploring Expertise webinars here

FEES

This event is free for members (don't forget to log in to your account to receive your discount).

Non-members can purchase a place for £20+VAT.

Places on this event are limited, so early booking is recommended.

CONTACT

Telephone 020 7520 7520

Email conferences@corambaaf.org.uk