what contact services can and can't do

Families often arrive at contact services during one of the most challenging points in their separation. It is completely understandable to want clarity. 

Families often want to understand what a contact service actually does, what sits within our role, and what belongs to other professionals.

This post outlines the boundaries that protect children, support parents, and maintain the integrity of the work.

Contact workers observe, support transitions, and help a child feel steady between two parents. We notice things such as patterns, cues, and changes in emotional tone, but we do not diagnose or label behaviour. 

Those responsibilities belong to clinicians, psychologists, and the court. 

Our job is to stay with the child in the moment, not to decide why the moment is happening.

Families often assume contact workers are there to find the truth. We are not investigators and we do not gather evidence to build a case. We document what we see, what we hear, and what we support. 

Nothing more and nothing less. 

That restraint is a safeguard. It protects the integrity of our work and prevents children from being drawn into adult narratives.

Children may arrive dysregulated, tired, or unsure. We can co regulate, soften the transition, and respond to cues.

But contact visits are not therapy sessions. 

If a child needs therapeutic support, we can help families connect with the right professionals such as psychologists, counsellors, or developmental specialists.

Contact workers can assist with routines, communication around the visit, and predictable changeovers.

What we do not do is mediate conflict, negotiate orders, or interpret court directions.

Those responsibilities sit with lawyers, mediators, and the court.

The lines between support, observation, and assessment are subtle and very easy to cross without professional grounding. This is why it is critical that contact services are led by social workers. 

Social workers are trained to: 

• understand family dynamics 

• hold boundaries under pressure 

• recognise risk without inflating it 

• support parents without stepping into advocacy 

• stay neutral while remaining relational and human

A social work led service keeps the work child focused and protects families from overreach and role confusion.

Families are often stretched thin by the time they reach us. 

Emotions run high, expectations get mixed, and every interaction can feel loaded.

Professional boundaries are what keep the space safe.

They allow us to do the work well and to ensure the child remains the centre, not the battlefield.