contact problems

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Nannyd2024

Welcome to the kinship carers’ discussion board. Thank you for your post. My name is Suzie. I am Family Rights Group’s online adviser. I am sorry to hear about the difficulties you are experiencing.

You have been providing contact for the child you are caring for and her mother in your own home. Unfortunately, it is not working out. You would like information about support groups for special guardians, and information about how to move forward with different contact arrangements.

You may be able to find a local special guardianship or kinship carer support group by clicking on this link here and providing your postcode or local authority details.

I would suggest that you also contact the local authority special guardianship support team to discuss the difficulties that you are having and to ask a social worker to help mediate a new arrangement. If the child you are caring for was Looked After before you got the SGO then the assessing social worker should have assessed your support needs including around contact.

It is a good idea for you to think about what arrangements would be best for the child to see her mother. If contact needs to be supervised, are there other family members who would be willing to be supervisors? You can also find details of contact centres via the here.

You may find it helpful to read our advice sheet on special guardianship: financial and practical support here.

If you would like legal advice or more information, as this is an area of private law, then the services below may be useful for you to know about:

• Child Law Advice Family Line: telephone 0300 330 5480, email and webchat.
• Rights of Women Family Law advice
• Advice Now.

I hope this is helpful.

If you need further advice, please contact the advice service again. You can find details of our opening times during Christmas and New Year holiday period here.

Best wishes

Suzie