Referral Process Guide

Private Law Referrals

The referral process for families involved in Private Law cases can differ from that which applies to cases where a social worker contacts us about a family, which is known to and referred by Children’s Services (within Public Law arena). Hence, social workers are encouraged to get in touch with AG Contact Centres or AG Family Support Ltd. management directly, in order to discuss their specific needs.

So, this guidance applies to Private Law referrals only:

  • Please start with getting in touch with AGCC using the relevant forms on the website under each contact centre (please refer to our contact details on the website)

  • AGCC Head Office will get back to you within 48 hours (head office is not open at weekends) with the view of providing you with our referral information (referral and risk assessment forms) for you, as the referrer, to complete and return back to us within a further 72 hours. A referral fee is payable.

  • Once we have the forms back from the referrer and the referral fee is paid, we will send a referral form to the other parent for completion. When both forms are back referral meetings will be held (individually). We review the referral at all stages. If it is decided that we will provide a service (this is dependant on the outcome of the referral process), we will let both parents know and invite the resident parent, and the parent who is to have contact, to visit the centre for an initial interview and planning session (for centre based contacts ) The resident parent should come to the centre with the child or children who are to have contact.

  • Parents and children would have access to copies of our policies and procedures, should they wish to review them.

  • Each parent will be asked to sign the contact agreement and plan (including review arrangements), with the view of contact sessions commencing as soon as they are needed, please note the referral process will take on average around 3 weeks.

  • Throughout our involvement with any one family, we will do our best to make sure the same, consistent workers are used. We know it is important to the children’s sense of consistency and continuity!

  • A payment for each session, or a set of sessions, would have to be made by the paying party at least 5 days before contact is due to start.