Family Court Support Service

About the Family Support Court Service

Nottinghamshire Women’s Aid Ltd Family Support Service provides emotional and practical support and advice to women and children involved in family court proceedings where domestic abuse is a presenting or historical factor. The aims of the service are to ensure women and children are aware of their rights, safeguarding and support. The main aim of the service is to support children/young people in understanding their own experiences. This will be done in a variety of creative ways and will include work around healthy relationships, feelings and safety planning. Children will also be supported in understanding the court process (in an age-appropriate way) and what this may mean for them in terms of changes in family life and contact arrangements. We will also provide practical support to women about how they can talk to their children about contact, domestic abuse and separation. We will also support mum throughout the court process by attending with her where possible and providing any emotional support that she may need throughout. 

The criteria for the service is the following:

• The mother consents to the referral

• The children must reside with the mother

• The mother consents to the Family Court Support Service working with the children who must be aged between 4 and 18 years of age

• The family reside in the district of Bassetlaw, Mansfield or Newark and Sherwood. If the family reside in Ashfield, a referral can be made providing the proceedings are in Mansfield Court and no other Domestic Abuse Support Service is supporting the family through court

• Court proceedings have been issued/are ongoing

• The proceedings must be Children Act private law proceedings or Non-Molestation Order proceedings under the Family Law Act