1. Home
  2. Courses
  3. Supervised Family Contact Visits Training Course

“Very helpful training, thank you!”

Jonathon, SENAD Alderwasly Sixth Form College, Derbyshire

Course Summary

Supervising contact is about much more than just being a "fly on the wall." It is a skilled role that requires a balance of keen observation, safeguarding awareness, and empathy. This course explores the emotional weight that contact carries for children and their families, helping you understand the impact of separation, identity, and attachment on their behaviour during visits.

During the day, we will break down the different types of contact—from community-based to virtual—and clarify exactly what your responsibilities are. We provide hands-on guidance on how to model positive interactions for parents and how to assess their "capacity to change" in a way that is fair and evidence-based.

Keeping the Child’s Experience at the Heart of Every Visit

We believe that when contact is handled with a trauma-informed lens, it can be a healing experience rather than a stressful one. This course bridges the gap between statutory legal requirements and the real-world reality of a contact session, ensuring you leave with the practical tools needed to manage risks while keeping the child’s well-being at the very heart of your practice.

  • Trauma-Informed Practice: Learn how to support children through the emotional highs and lows of seeing their birth family.
  • Documentation Skills: Master the art of writing objective, court-ready reports that focus on facts rather than feelings.
  • Professional Boundaries: Understand how to stay neutral and professional while still being approachable and supportive.
  • Safe Environments: Tips for setting up a space that feels inclusive and psychologically safe for everyone involved.

By focusing on evidence-based recording and multi-agency communication, this training ensures that every contact session provides valuable insights for permanence planning and long-term decision-making in a child's life.

Course Learning Outcomes

Review the learning objectives below. Expand each aim to view the detailed criteria this course covers.

1Understand the purpose, intention and impact of contact for children and families.
  • 1.1Describe the meaning, purpose and intentions of contact within children’s social care.
  • 1.2Explain the importance of safe, meaningful contact for children, parents, siblings and wider family networks.
  • 1.3Summarise key legal and statutory requirements relating to contact, including the Children Act 1989, Working Together to Safeguard Children, and current local authority policies.
  • 1.4Explain the benefits, risks, challenges and limitations of contact for children and families.
  • 1.5Describe the core principles of child‐centred, trauma‐informed contact practice.
  • 1.6Explain the emotional and behavioural impact of contact on children, parents, carers and professionals.
  • 1.7Describe the relationship between contact and attachment, separation, loss, identity and permanence planning.
  • 1.8Explain how equality, diversity and inclusion influence contact planning and decision‐making.
2Understand types of contact and the requirements for supervising contact.
  • 2.1Describe the differences between informal, formal, supervised, supported, virtual and community‐based contact.
  • 2.2Explain the role and responsibilities of the contact supervisor/support worker, including safeguarding, observation, modelling and promoting positive interactions.
  • 2.3Define the term ‘capacity to change’ and explain its relevance in assessing parental engagement during contact.
  • 2.4Describe the key areas considered when assessing capacity to change, including motivation, insight, ability, and sustainability.
  • 2.5Explain how risk assessment informs decisions about the level and type of supervision required.
  • 2.6Describe how multi‐agency information sharing supports safe and effective contact arrangements.
3Understand how to prepare for supervising contact.
  • 3.1Describe the practical, emotional and safeguarding considerations when preparing to supervise contact.
  • 3.2Explain how to create a psychologically safe, developmentally appropriate and inclusive contact environment.
  • 3.3Describe approaches to use during supervision, including observation, modelling, strengths‐based practice and trauma‐informed communication.
  • 3.4Explain how to respond to concerns, incidents or disclosures during contact in line with safeguarding procedures.
  • 3.5Evaluate the requirements following contact, including debriefing children, supporting parents, and communicating with carers and professionals.
  • 3.6Describe how reflective practice supports continuous improvement in contact supervision.
4Understand ways of supervising contact visits, including documentation and recording requirements
  • 4.1Define professional boundaries when supervising contact, including confidentiality, neutrality, and appropriate levels of interaction.
  • 4.2Describe the documentation required before, during and after contact, including risk assessments, contact plans and observation records.
  • 4.3Explain how to record contact accurately, objectively and in line with organisational and legal requirements.
  • 4.4Describe how to raise and escalate concerns following contact, including safeguarding alerts, incident reporting and communication with the social worker.
  • 4.5Explain the importance of transparency, accountability and evidence‐based recording in court‐related processes.
  • 4.6Describe how digital tools and secure systems are used to record, store and share contact information safely.

Who is this course for?

This Planning Supervised Family Contact Visits training course This course is designed for social care workers, contact supervisors, and foster carers who are responsible for overseeing visits between children in care and their families. It is also ideal for family support workers looking to refine their recording skills and trauma-informed approach.

Duration

1 day course - we can be flexible on start and finish times to suit your needs such as school run friendly times.

Availability

This Supervised Family Contact Visits course is offered in two delivery formats:

  • Remote Online: Led by a live tutor via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, allowing participants to join remotely. (Also known as virtual classroom training)
  • Face-to-Face: Delivered in person at your location or a venue you arrange. (Also referred to as on-site training)

View a comparison of Remote and in-person face to face training .
Complete our quick enquiry form for a price and available dates.

Certification

Each learner completing this course will receive a digital (PDF) certificate of learning.

Accreditation

The course contents are accredited by the Open College Network (OCN) Credit4Learning as a Level 3 course.

Remote or Face to Face

Choose the learning environment that works best for you: our expert-led training is offered in two convenient formats - remote tutor led online or in person face to face.

Compare Remote with Face to Face

1 Day Course

Flexible start and finish times to suit you. Contact us for available dates.

Accredited

The course contents are accredited by the Open College Network (OCN) Credit4Learning as a Level 3 course.

Get a Price or more information...

Just fill in this quick form and we will email you an all inclusive price, don't worry we will never add you to any marketing lists - promise. If you want more information first thats great - just get in touch

Delivery Preference

Clear pricing

We ask for location (for face to face training) and approximate numbers because we include any expenses in the quotes we give so you get one clear price - no surprise added extras

More Information?

If you have any questions, want more information or interested in a series of courses please contact us

Contact Us
Why Choose Ringway Training? Read some of our clients past comments

Course FAQs

Why is specific training needed for contact supervision?

Supervising contact is a high-stakes role where safety and emotional wellbeing must be balanced. Specific training ensures that staff aren't just 'watching' but are actively observing, modelling positive parenting, and identifying subtle risks or progress that can influence a child's future.

How does this course benefit our social care team?

It builds a consistent, professional standard across the team. By training staff in objective recording and legal requirements, your organisation will produce higher-quality evidence for court proceedings and reviews, reducing the risk of professional bias or safeguarding oversights.

Will this training help with writing better contact reports?

Absolutely. A key focus of the course is documentation. We teach you how to move away from vague descriptions and instead record accurate, evidence-based observations that are transparent, accountable, and useful for the child’s social worker.

How does a trauma-informed approach change the way we supervise?

It helps staff understand that 'difficult' behaviour from children or parents during contact is often a response to stress or past trauma. This training gives you the tools to de-escalate situations and create an environment where the child feels safe enough to interact.

Is this course relevant for foster carers who host contact?

Yes. Foster carers often manage informal or supported contact. This course provides them with a clear understanding of boundaries, safeguarding, and how to support the child through the emotional 'fallout' that can sometimes happen before or after a visit.
 Find out more