What supervised contact costs, and how long it lasts
Cost is usually the second question people ask, straight after whether contact can happen at all. It is also the question most services avoid answering until you have phoned them. This guide sets out what you are paying for, how long sessions run, and how long the whole arrangement is likely to last, so you can work out roughly what you are facing before you speak to anyone.
What drives the cost
Three things, in roughly this order of weight. The time in the session, which is what most people expect to pay for. The travel, which in the Highlands is frequently the largest element and the reason two families an hour apart get very different quotes. And the recording, because a factual note takes minutes while a report prepared for a sheriff takes considerably longer.
A session advertised as an hour is rarely an hour of work. A two hour round trip either side of a one hour session is a four hour commitment. Any quote that ignores this is usually about to be revised.
How long a session runs
Between one and two hours is typical. Shorter is often better at the start, particularly with young children or where there has been a long gap since the last contact. A child who leaves a short session wanting more has had a good session. A child who is exhausted and overwhelmed by the end has not, however long it lasted.
Session length is agreed before the first session and revisited as things settle. It is normal for sessions to lengthen as everyone becomes more comfortable.
How long the whole arrangement lasts
This depends entirely on why supervision was put in place. Where a sheriff has ordered it while a specific concern is assessed, it may run for a few months and then be reviewed. Where it exists to rebuild a relationship after a long absence, it usually steps down in stages, from supervised contact, to supported contact, to a supervised handover only, and eventually to nothing at all.
Supervision is not meant to be permanent. A good arrangement is one that is working towards its own end, and the written records are part of how that case gets made.
Where free options exist, and where they do not
Relationships Scotland Family Mediation Highland runs child contact centres in Inverness and in Wick. Supported contact there is generally free of charge, and supervised contact is available at a cost. If you live within reach of either, that is worth exploring first, and you will be told so honestly.
The difficulty is distance. From Fort William, Inverness is the best part of two hours each way. From Elgin it is not far short of an hour. From Portree it is longer still. A free session that costs a family a whole day and a tank of fuel is not really free, and for many families across the Highlands and Moray a centre is simply not a realistic option. That is the gap an independent provider fills.
What Bringing Families Together charges
Cost depends on the length of the session, the distance travelled and the level of recording agreed, so a figure is given for your own arrangement rather than published as a single rate. It is confirmed in writing before anything begins, and it does not change part way through without notice and agreement.
Where a local authority or a solicitor is arranging regular work, that is quoted individually. For a figure, call or email and you will be given one.
Getting a figure you can rely on
Ask for it in writing, and ask what is included. Specifically: whether travel is inside or outside the quoted rate, what happens if a session is cancelled, whether written notes are included and what a fuller report would cost. A provider who cannot answer those four questions clearly is not one to commit to.
With Bringing Families Together, all of that is confirmed in writing before anything begins, and it does not change part way through an arrangement without notice and agreement. The terms of service set out the detail.
Frequently asked questions
- 1How much does supervised contact cost in Scotland?
- There is no set national rate. Independent providers charge by the session, usually by the hour with a minimum length, and contact centres run by Relationships Scotland offer supported contact generally free of charge with supervised contact available at a cost. Bringing Families Together confirms the cost in writing before anything begins, so nothing is a surprise.
- 2What am I actually paying for?
- The time in the session itself, the travel to and from it, and the writing up afterwards. A one hour session is rarely one hour of work. In the Highlands travel is often the largest single element, which is why distance affects the quote more than anything else.
- 3How long does a supervised contact session last?
- Most sessions run between one and two hours. Younger children usually manage shorter sessions better, and a first session is often kept deliberately short. The length is agreed in advance and can change as things settle.
- 4How many weeks or months does supervised contact go on for?
- It varies with the reason for supervision. Where it was ordered while a specific concern is assessed, it may last a few months. Where it exists to rebuild a relationship after a long gap, it often steps down gradually, from supervised to supported to a supervised handover only. Supervision is meant to reduce over time, not continue indefinitely.
- 5Is supervised contact ever free?
- Supported contact at a Relationships Scotland centre is generally free, and there are centres in Inverness and Wick. Supervised contact, where one person stays with the family throughout and writes a record, normally carries a cost wherever you get it. If you are in Moray, Lochaber, Sutherland or Wester Ross, a free centre may simply be too far to be realistic.
- 6Who pays for supervised contact?
- Usually the parent seeking contact, though costs are sometimes shared, and where a local authority or a solicitor has arranged the work they are often invoiced directly. Where contact is part of court proceedings, your solicitor can advise whether any of it may be covered.
- 7Does legal aid cover supervised contact?
- Legal aid covers legal representation rather than the contact service itself, so it does not usually pay for sessions. Your solicitor is the right person to ask about your own case.
- 8Is transport charged separately?
- Transport is quoted on distance, because a collection in Inverness and a collection in Lochaber are not comparable pieces of work. It is agreed before anything begins.
- 9Do written reports cost extra?
- The level of recording is agreed at the outset. Brief factual session notes are part of the service. A fuller written report, including one prepared for court, takes considerably longer to produce and is quoted separately.
- 10What happens if I need to cancel?
- At least 48 hours' notice is asked for. A session cancelled with less notice may be charged in full, because the time and the travel have already been committed. The full terms are published on the site.
This guide explains how cost and duration usually work for supervised contact in Scotland. It is general information rather than a quote. For the cost of your own arrangement, call or email and you will be given a figure in writing before anything begins.
Bringing Families Together covers the whole of the Highlands and Moray. Call or WhatsApp Aimee on 07934 756 311, or email aimee@bringingfamiliestogether.co.uk. Nothing is decided in the first conversation.