Exploring how fathers, supervisors and professionals experience supervised child-parent contact in Ireland.
This exploratory Irish study examines the experiences of fathers participating in centre-based supervised contact with their children. It also considers the perspectives of contact supervisors, social workers, Guardians ad Litem, legal professionals and other stakeholders involved in the process.
The research included interviews with five fathers, alongside focus-group discussions involving seven staff members and six professional stakeholders. It found that fathers placed particular value on relationship-based supervision, while supervisors and stakeholders placed greater emphasis on the skills and procedures required to manage contact safely.
The findings highlight the importance of gender-sensitive practice, a shared framework for assessing supervised contact and clearly supported, short-term contact arrangements. They also demonstrate how child-centred priorities, family relationships and the operational demands of contact services can sometimes be held in tension.
Authors
Elizabeth Kiely, Nicola O’Sullivan and Mary Tobin
Author role
Professor Elizabeth Kiely — Professor of Social Policy at University College Cork and lead researcher on the study.
Dr Nicola O’Sullivan — social care consultant, clinical supervisor, lecturer and reflective-practice facilitator.
Dr Mary Tobin — clinical psychologist; affiliated with the Health Service Executive in the publication record.
Publication details
Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 100, pages 494–502, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.03.008.
