1. Purpose of the Policy
This policy outlines how Compass Family Time identifies, manages and responds to domestic abuse, coercive control and related safeguarding concerns during supervised family time, handovers and assessment sessions. The aim is to ensure the safety, wellbeing and dignity of children and non‑abusive parents, while maintaining professional neutrality and trauma‑informed practice.
2. Scope
This policy applies to:
- All supervised community family time sessions
- Supported and high‑conflict handovers
- Preparation and assessment meetings
- Communication with parents, solicitors, CAFCASS and local authorities
- Any situation where domestic abuse or coercive control may be present
It covers children, parents/carers, extended family members and any adult involved in the case.
3. Definitions
Compass Family Time adopts the statutory definition of domestic abuse (Domestic Abuse Act 2021), which includes:
- Physical or sexual abuse
- Violent or threatening behaviour
- Controlling or coercive behaviour
- Economic abuse
- Psychological, emotional or other abuse
Domestic abuse may occur between intimate partners or family members.
Coercive control includes patterns of behaviour that isolate, intimidate, degrade, exploit or regulate a person’s everyday life.
Children are recognised as victims in their own right when they see, hear or experience the effects of domestic abuse.
4. Principles
Compass Family Time is committed to:
- Prioritising the safety and wellbeing of children
- Ensuring trauma‑informed, survivor‑sensitive practice
- Maintaining strict neutrality while recognising risk dynamics
- Responding promptly to concerns
- Ensuring safe, structured and professionally monitored contact
- Working collaboratively with domestic abuse services and safeguarding partners
- Recording and reporting concerns factually and accurately
5. Identifying Domestic Abuse and Coercion
The practitioner will remain alert to indicators of abuse, including:
Behavioural Indicators
- Fear, anxiety or distress in the child or non‑abusive parent
- Attempts to intimidate, manipulate or control the other parent
- Undermining, belittling or blaming language
- Attempts to influence the practitioner’s views or reporting
- Excessive monitoring or questioning of the child
- Attempts to use contact to exert control
Risk Indicators
- Breaches of court orders
- Stalking or harassment behaviours
- Substance misuse linked to aggression
- Escalation of conflict
- Threats or aggressive behaviour
- Concerns raised by referrers or domestic abuse services
6. Pre‑Session Risk Assessment
Before sessions begin, the practitioner will:
- Review referral information, court orders and risk assessments
- Identify any history of domestic abuse or coercive control
- Consider the safety of the child and non‑abusive parent
- Plan safe arrival and departure arrangements
- Agree communication boundaries
- Liaise with referrers or domestic abuse services where appropriate
Where risk is high, sessions may require:
- Staggered arrival/departure
- Neutral handover points
- Additional safety planning
- Increased monitoring
7. Managing Domestic Abuse During Sessions
A. If abusive or coercive behaviour occurs
The practitioner will:
- Prioritise the child’s immediate safety
- Interrupt or redirect the behaviour
- End the session if necessary
- Separate parties where possible
- Record the incident factually
- Inform the referrer
- Review the risk assessment
B. If the child shows distress linked to abuse
The practitioner will:
- Provide reassurance and emotional containment
- Pause or end the session if needed
- Record observations factually
- Share concerns with the referrer
- Consider safeguarding action
C. If a parent attempts to use the session to control the other parent
Examples include:
- Asking the child to pass messages
- Making negative comments about the other parent
- Attempting to gather information
- Pressuring the practitioner for favourable reporting
The practitioner will:
- Reinforce boundaries
- Redirect the interaction
- Record the behaviour
- Inform the referrer if necessary
8. Safe Communication and Boundaries
To reduce risk:
- Parents/carers must not communicate with each other directly unless agreed
- The practitioner will not pass personal messages between parents
- All communication must remain child‑focused
- The practitioner will not share personal information about either parent
- The practitioner will not mediate disputes or negotiate arrangements
9. Working with Survivors of Domestic Abuse
Compass Family Time recognises that survivors may:
- Experience trauma responses
- Feel anxious or fearful during contact
- Require additional reassurance and clarity
- Need safe, structured communication routes
The practitioner will:
- Use trauma‑informed approaches
- Validate safety concerns
- Avoid placing responsibility for the perpetrator’s behaviour on the survivor
- Ensure safe handover arrangements
- Liaise with domestic abuse services where appropriate
10. Working with Perpetrators of Abuse
The practitioner will:
- Maintain professional neutrality
- Reinforce boundaries consistently
- Avoid collusion or minimisation
- Challenge inappropriate behaviour calmly and clearly
- Record factual observations without interpretation
- Report concerns to referrers or safeguarding partners
11. Safeguarding and Reporting
Any domestic abuse or coercive control concerns will be:
- Recorded factually
- Reported to the referrer within agreed timescales
- Considered within the safeguarding framework
A safeguarding referral will be made if:
- A child is at risk of harm
- Abuse escalates or is disclosed
- A parent’s behaviour compromises safety
- Court orders are breached
- Coercive control is observed or suspected
Safeguarding always overrides confidentiality.
12. Multi‑Agency Working
Compass Family Time will work collaboratively with:
- Domestic abuse services
- IDVAs
- MARAC
- Local authority safeguarding teams
- CAFCASS
- Solicitors
- Police (where required)
Information will be shared on a need‑to‑know basis to protect children and survivors.
13. Recording and Documentation
All incidents, concerns and observations will be:
- Recorded factually and promptly
- Stored securely in line with GDPR
- Shared with referrers as required
- Reviewed in clinical supervision
Patterns of behaviour will be monitored and escalated where necessary.
14. Review of Policy
This policy will be reviewed:
- Annually
- After any domestic abuse‑related incident
- As part of NACCC accreditation
- Following updates to legislation or best practice