guide to the seperated parents information programme
The programme aims...
- to make you more aware of the effect splitting up may have had on the children;
- to help change things for the better;
- to reduce conflict between you and your partner;
- to improve communication and reach workable solutions.
how the process starts
After you have attended court, you may be referred to our service. This will happen under the recommendation of a Cafcass Family Court Adviser (FCA) when they identify that a Separated Parents Information Programme may be of benefit to separated parents who have children. A referral can happen at any stage in a case, but is most likely to arise at a first or second court hearing.
When the court has decided that this is the appropriate route, it will also specify to Cafcass that they should take into account information about the parents’ attendance on the programme. The court then sends a letter and order to Mediation Works and a copy to your Cafcass FCA. In some cases, the court may recommend that the parties attend family mediation together under the Separated Parents Information Programme.
what happens next?
Your Cafcass FCA will contact us to establish whether a suitable programme is available. At this stage, you and the other parent will be contacted by one of our professionals who will provide you with advice and all the information you need before you come on the programme.
We will arrange for you to attend the next available local programme at a mutually convenient time. Our programmes take place in small groups, and everything which is discussed remains completely confidential.
During the sessions, we record your attendance for the purposes of monitoring (as directed by the court), and to claim our payment for the programme through Cafcass.
is attendance compulsory?
If attendance on a programme has been deemed necessary by the court then it is important that you attend.
how much will it cost?
Attendance on a Separated Parents Information Programme is free of charge to everyone who has been referred to us.
does it help?
We have found that when a parent attends one of our programmes, he or she leaves feeling supported, with hope for the future, and a clearer idea of what the children may need. Many clients are delighted to find that other parents are in the same situation, and they offer each other mutual support and encouragement.