The first part of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 relates to contact with children and provides, amongst other things, for the court to make contact activity directions. A contact activity direction is a direction requiring an individual to take part in an activity which promotes contact which the child who is the subject of the proceedings.
One of the purposes of the provisions to to help make people fit for contact by, for example, requiring them to attend programmes, classes and counselling or guidance sessions to help them establish or improve contact with the child. Orders can only be made of there is a dispute about child contact. One of the specific examples referred to in the Act is where there is a need for “addressing a person’s violent behaviour”.
The court may also attach contact activity conditions to a child contact order and there are provisions for monitoring and enforcing them. The court may provide for mediation between parents but may not require a person to take part in mediation.
These parts of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 come into force on 8 December 2008.
Lisa Bolgar Smith of Ambrose Appelbe specialises in family cases involving children and has been trained as a mediator in family law. Contact her on 020 7242 7000.
