Project List


Reaching Out

The Reaching Out project is designed to support separated families, raise awareness of the family separation process, and to improve access to Pro-Contact’s services. The therapeutic intervention is one of the core elements of Reaching Out in which children and parents are offered different services such as counselling or art therapy to help them in dealing with the difficulties associated with family breakdown.

Reaching Out promotes equal service provision by reducing barriers to accessing services for individuals and families from disadvantaged background. We use this project creatively wherever possible to support families that would otherwise not be able to access our services. This might include training other professionals to offer advice on separation, engaging with families in the community through other agencies already working with them, or offering support to schools to help children struggling with changes at home.


Separated Parenting Information Programme (PIPS)

Parenting Information Programmes are designed to help parents learn more about the challenges of post-separation parenting, including the effects on children of ongoing conflict. It also aims to provide advice and support about how best to help children in this situation and enables parents to take steps towards their own solutions. Most parents that go on the course find it very helpful. Parents in the same case always go to different PIP sessions, but it is always important that both parents do attend. The PIP is usually delivered to mixed groups of applicants (parents applying for contact with their children) and respondents (parents responding to an application for contact) in two, two-hour sessions or one four-hour session. You must be there for the whole course. Separated couples do not go on the same course, but it is important that both parents go on a course.

PIP is only available when a court makes a Contact Activity Order as part of Private Law family proceedings in a Family Court. Service Users can then choose their preferred PIP Provider for the list available.


Community Projects

Pro-Contact appreciates that there are many families who separate and are not involved in court proceedings. The community aspect of our work focuses on working with children and families who have recently separated to deliver interventions which prevent issues from escalating. This involves parenting programmes, mediation, supported contact and identity work.

We also work with children and young people in local schools delivering a range of group work and one-to-one sessions. These focus on helping children to better understand the dynamics of their family as well as developing resilience and abilities to deal with the changes that happen within the family.

We feel it is important for us to share our expertise with other professionals to enable those who are in direct contact with children and families to be best equipped to meet the needs of separated families. We deliver a range of training packages to other organisations and local professionals, sharing our expertise and experience of working with separated families.


Salford Child Contact Centre

Salford Child Contact Centre is a safe and friendly place where children spend time developing and maintaining positive relationships with their non-resident parents, or other family members. The centre is a neutral, child-friendly environment which provides toys, games and facilities which reflect the diverse needs of the children affected by family breakdown. Salford Contact Centre is open on Sundays between 2pm – 4pm and is suitable for families when no significant risk to the child or those around the child has been identified.


CAFCASS

Pro-Contact can be commissioned by CAFCASS to carry out pieces of intervention with families. CAFCASS and the Court decide when a family should receive services from Pro-Contact and a referral is made by CAFCASS to Pro-Contact.

Pro-Contact is contracted to carry out Level Two and Three interventions by CAFCASS.


Level Two Intervention
Pro-Contact can be commissioned to undertake sessions of supervised contact between adults and children under a Level Two referral. This type of referral can be used to aid families in a variety of ways, such as after a breakdown in contact or as part of a risk assessment to determine future contact arrangements. Pro-Contact are normally commissioned to do six sessions (CAFCASS can commission more sessions if required) of supervised contact which typically take place weekly or fortnightly. Contact sessions are normally up to one and a half hours long. CAFCASS officers remain in charge of the case under Level Two and carry out the assessment and report for court based on information provided by Pro-Contact.

Under specific circumstances Pro-Contact can be commissioned to do preparatory work with families (Level One). This can include sessions of identity work or indirect contact before supervised contact takes place. These sessions would take place one to one with a child and would usually not exceed three sessions, and combined with Level Two activity for the rest of the 6 sessions, with the final sessions usually being used for supervised contact. This kind of referral can be beneficial in various circumstances, such as when there has been a significant gap in contact or if children are unfamiliar with their parent and heritage or when children need additional support in being reintroduced to a parent.


Level Three Social Work Intervention
Pro-Contact can also be commissioned to undertake assessments of families under a Level Three piece of work. This differs from Level Two intervention in that Pro-Contact undertake the assessment and complete a report for court. CAFCASS remain involved but it is Pro-Contact who make the recommendations following the assessment. Under Level Three pieces of work families normally have ten sessions of intervention. The intervention sessions are tailored to the families needs based on what is recommended by the court and CAFCASS but can include: Contact sessions (supervised, escorted, supported), Therapy (Art Therapy or Counselling) and Parenting.