Children and Adoption Act 2006 Implementation 

New section 11 Children Act 1989 provisions. Implementation in England

Part 1 of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 came fully into force on 8th December 2008.  The Act provides courts with new powers to promote and monitor contact, and enforce contact orders made under section 8 of the Children Act 1989.

 Contact Activity Directions and Conditions

The court can direct a parent to take part in an activity that would promote contact with the child, or make it a condition of granting a contact order that the parent undertakes such an activity.

 Contact Activity Guidance

Cafcass in England has developed guidance to its staff about how best to support the courts in their anticipated use of the new Contact Activity provisions, in particular the making and monitoring of contact activity conditions/directions, the monitoring of section 8 contact orders and the making and monitoring of enforcement orders (and their associated unpaid work requirements)

 Contact Activity Provision

Contact Activities will be delivered by a network of Department of Children, Schools and Families approved providers and are chargeable at the point of entry. It will be determined if service users are entitled to public funding, if not they will need to pay for the Contact Activity.  Cafcass will have the responsibility of monitoring attendance at the Contact Activity and reporting back to court, if so requested by the court. 

 There are three types of contact activity directions or conditions:

·         Mediation Information / Assessment Meetings

·         Parenting Information Programmes

·         Domestic Violence Intervention Programmes

A list of local Contact Activity Providers and Contact Activity Guidance is available below.

www.Cafcass.gov.uk

Marie Holland - Cafcass Commissioning and Partnership Manager Central
Tel: 01785 236263 / 236268  Mobile: 0778 6118 360
marie.holland@cafcass.gov.uk