Birmingham Child Contact Centre
Charity 1174279
Overview
Summary
Birmingham Child Contact Centre appears to occupy a focused but important role in the local family-support system: it provides a neutral setting that preserves children’s relationships with non-resident parents and wider family during separation. Its model is deliberately limited to supported rather than supervised contact, suggesting it operates as a practical bridge while families establish longer-term arrangements, rather than as a court-reporting or safeguarding-assessment service.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Edgbaston
Confidence: high
The organisation's current website and 2025 referrer leaflet both identify Edgbaston Community Centre as the contact-centre venue. Birmingham City Council identifies Edgbaston Community Centre as a polling station within Edgbaston Ward.
- Birmingham Child Contact Centre, How to Find Us
States that Birmingham Child Contact Centre is based at Edgbaston Community Centre and operates on Saturdays. - Birmingham Child Contact Centre, Referrers Information Leaflet (2025)
Identifies Edgbaston Community Centre as the contact-centre venue and describes supported contact sessions delivered there. - Birmingham City Council, notice of poll and polling stations
Lists Edgbaston Community Centre as a polling station within Edgbaston Ward.
Remaining uncertainties
- Direct evidence supports one active physical delivery venue in Edgbaston. No current evidence was found of additional Birmingham delivery sites.
- The citywide coverageType is a reasonable interpretation rather than a complete mapped catchment: Birmingham City Council described the charity as supporting children and families 'across the city', while the organisation's central venue is accessible from Birmingham New Street and accepts professional and self-referrals.
- The charity's objects refer to Birmingham and adjacent areas, but this is not sufficient evidence that it currently delivers services outside Birmingham.
- Edgbaston Community Centre is a venue used by the charity. The available evidence does not establish the terms of its relationship with the venue or show that the venue partnership extends delivery beyond that site.
- The charity's registered address in Solihull has not been treated as an operational site, because the organisation publicly identifies its contact-centre venue separately in Edgbaston.
Additional evidence needed
- Current referral or attendance data by beneficiary area or Birmingham ward, to confirm the geographical reach of families using the service.
- A current annual report or service report identifying any other delivery venues, outreach activity, or regular handover locations.
- Confirmation from the charity of whether it has a defined Birmingham-wide or wider-than-Birmingham referral catchment.
Areas of work
- Disability
Who they help
- Children/young People
How they help
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A bridge service between family breakdown and longer-term arrangements
The centre appears designed as a transitional support: it enables regular contact during a period when family arrangements are unsettled, rather than replacing ongoing parenting or legal arrangements.
Why it matters
This clarifies its role in the wider system. Its value may lie in preventing relationships from weakening during change, even though it does not determine the eventual family arrangement.
Show evidence
“It provides a place that helps facilitate relationships between separated or separating parents and their children.”
Source:Organisation“Non-resident parents can see their children on a regular basis, until more permanent arrangements can be agreed.”
Source:Organisation
Neutrality is the organisation's core operating asset
Its distinctive contribution appears to be creating a setting trusted enough for contact to happen when private family arrangements may be difficult or contested.
Why it matters
This suggests the organisation's effectiveness may depend less on specialist intervention than on maintaining safety, accessibility and perceived impartiality for multiple family members.
Show evidence
“The charity provides a child contact centre to facilitate contact arrangements in a safe, secure and neutral location.”
Source:Charity Commission“It provides a free of charge, safe, friendly, neutral environment.”
Source:Organisation
The service has a clearly bounded relationship with family justice and safeguarding systems
Accreditation and referrals from solicitors suggest links to formal family-support networks, while the supported-contact model indicates the centre does not undertake one-to-one supervision or provide court evidence.
Why it matters
This boundary is important for understanding both who the service may suit and which needs likely require another organisation, such as intensive supervision, risk assessment or court reporting.
Show evidence
“It accepts referrals from solicitors, other organisations, and self referrals.”
Source:Organisation“It is an Accredited member of the National Association of Child Contact Centres to provide facilities for supported contact.”
Source:Organisation“It does not supervise contact on a one to one basis or write reports to family courts about the quality of contact.”
Source:Organisation
- There is no evidence about demand, capacity, waiting times, opening hours or the number of families supported.
- It is unclear how the organisation works with disability despite disability being listed as what the charity does.
- There is no evidence about partnerships with local children’s services, mediation providers or domestic-abuse services.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports or service data showing referrals, attendance, outcomes and unmet demand.
- Information on referral criteria, safeguarding procedures and onward pathways for families needing supervised contact or specialist support.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
We exist to relieve the needs of children separated from parents and/or other family members through divorce and family breakdown in particular by the provision of a child contact centre to facilitate contact arrangements with non-resident parents and other family members in a safe, secure and neutral location.
Charity objects
TO RELIEVE THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN SEPARATED FROM PARENTS AND/OR OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS THROUGH DIVORCE AND FAMILY BREAKDOWN IN PARTICULAR BY; A) THE PROVISION OF A CHILD CONTACT CENTRE TO FACILITATE CONTACT ARRANGEMENTS WITH NON-RESIDENT PARENTS AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS IN A SAFE, SECURE AND NEUTRAL LOCATION AND B) TO PROVIDE SUCH SERVICES IN PARTICULAR, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE COMMUNITY IN BIRMINGHAM AND ADJACENT AREAS.