Won't get involved

[Yogi]

I have 2 kids who have fortnightly contact ,when they have contact
It's cut short or dosent happen!
There is a C.A.O in place with a penal notice for me not to cancel contact !
There are loads of instances going on for social to be involved !
They won't get involved and say the kids have seen to many professionals !
Same stuff been going on for years

What can I do

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Yogi

Welcome to Family Rights Group parents’ forum and thank you for your post.

My name is Suzie; online adviser and I will respond to your post today.

I see that you are have difficulties relating to the court ordered contact for your children. You state that contact does not happen on occasions or is cut short. Since there is an order with a penal notice you must keep to the order. You wish to have children’s services involved because of this.
Children’s services do not usually get involved in private law matters relating to contact. Their role is to get involved if there are safeguarding concerns or the need for support. If you consider there is support you need for you and your children, then I suggest you put this in writing to children’s services stating the support you need. If no assessment of the need happens you can complain. Here is information about child in need and making a . complaint

As there is a court order, the way to deal with the issues related to the contact would be to go back to court and ask for the order to be changed to reflect the contact that happens now.

Contact in private law cases does not fall within the remit of our service as we offer advice where children’s services is directly involved. It may be more helpful for you to contact the service that advises son private law family matters. Here are their details – Child Law Advice 0300 330 5480. You can also get support from Support through Court on 0300 081 0006 if you decide to go to court and have no legal representation.

Hope the suggestions given above are helpful to you.

Best wishes

Suzie

[Winter25]

Hi Yogi,

I've just read your post. It is completely understandable why you are so frustrated. To have a court order in your hand that is supposed to protect your time with your children, only to have it consistently ignored, is an infuriating and heartbreaking situation.

The official advice you've received is procedurally correct but fails to give you a clear and powerful strategy. Social services are right that this is a court matter, but that does not mean you are powerless. You have a legally binding Child Arrangements Order (CAO) with a penal notice attached. This is a very powerful tool, and it is time to use it.

The Hard Truth: Social Services Are Not the Answer
You are right that there are issues here, but social services see this as a "private law" matter between two parents. They will not get involved unless there is a new and specific safeguarding risk to the children. Their refusal to engage is not because they don't care, but because this is a job for a Family Court Judge, not a social worker.

Your Urgent Action Plan: Enforcing the Order
You do not need social services. You need to take the evidence of the breaches of the order back to the court that made it.

Step 1: Become a Meticulous Evidence Gatherer
This is your most important job. You must create a "breach diary." Every single time contact is cancelled or cut short, you must log it with the date and time.

Keep all communication: Save every text message or email where contact is changed or cancelled.

Note the impact: Write down how the children reacted. Were they upset? Disappointed? This shows the emotional harm being caused.

Step 2: The Formal Warning Letter
Before you go back to court, you should send a formal, written letter (or email) to the other parent. This shows the judge you have tried to resolve the issue one last time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: URGENT: Breach of Child Arrangements Order dated [Date of Order]

I am writing to you formally about the repeated breaches of the Child Arrangements Order made on [Date].

The order states that contact will take place every fortnight. On

• , contact was either cancelled or cut short. This is a breach of the order and is causing significant emotional distress to our children.
  
  This letter is my final request for you to adhere to the terms of the court order. If the breach happens again at the next scheduled contact on [Date of next contact], I will be left with no choice but to make an urgent application to the court to enforce the order, and I will be asking the judge to consider the penal notice.
  
  I hope we can resolve this for the children's sake without returning to court.
  
  Sincerely,
  [Your Name]
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------
  Step 3: The Enforcement Application
  If they breach the order again after receiving your letter, you must immediately apply to the court to enforce the order.
  
  The Form: You will need to fill out a C79 form.
  
  The Power of the Penal Notice: The penal notice you mentioned is a serious warning attached to the order. It means that if the judge finds the other parent has breached the order without a reasonable excuse, they can be punished with a fine, unpaid work, or even prison (though this is very rare).
  
  By taking these steps, you are not starting a new fight. You are asking a judge to enforce a decision they have already made. You are holding the other parent accountable to the rule of law.
  ======================================================================
  For full transparency, I am not an official adviser for this forum. I am a parent who has been through a long and successful legal battle with a local authority, and I am here to offer supportive, strategic advice based on my own lived experience. The information I share is for guidance, and it is always up to each parent to decide what is right for their own situation.