How should decisions about contact for a child in care be made? Who should be involved in them?

Before making contact arrangements for any looked after child, a social worker should carry out an assessment of the child’s needs. This is required by government regulations called The Care Planning Placement and Review (England) Regulations 2010 (see regulation 4(1)).

Government statutory guidance called The Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations Volume 2: care planning, placement and case review, says that:

• The assessment should identify those people in the child’s network that it will be important for the child to be in contact with (see paragraph 2.81). This may include grandparents and brothers and sisters (whether those brothers and sisters are also in the care system or not).
• ‘Parents should be involved in planning for contact prior to placement wherever possible’ (see paragraph 2.82). So, parents should be involved in the process of thinking through what contact arrangements will meet the child’s needs. This is an important way in which children’s services should be working in partnership with the family.
• Then, before making decisions about contact arrangements children’s services must also consider the wishes and feelings of:
  • The child
  • Their parents
  • Anyone else with parental responsibility for them, and
  • Any other relevant people (see section 22(4) and 22(5)of the Children Act 1989).