Contact Orders and Prohibited Steps Orders in Northern Ireland

A Residence Order settles where a child lives, but it does not on its own regulate the birth parents' contact with the child or prevent specific actions like removing the child from school. That is where Contact Orders and Prohibited Steps Orders come in — two other Article 8 orders under the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 that kinship carers sometimes need alongside or instead of a Residence Order.

Contact Orders

A Contact Order requires the person the child lives with to allow the child to visit, stay with, or otherwise have contact with the person named in the order. In kinship care situations, this typically means the court is regulating how often the birth parents see the child and under what conditions.

Contact orders can specify:

• Direct contact — face-to-face visits, overnight stays, or supervised meetings
• Indirect contact — letters, phone calls, video calls, or gifts
• Conditions — supervised contact at a contact centre, restrictions on alcohol or substance use during visits, or a prohibition on discussing the court case with the child

If you hold a Residence Order and the birth parent is pressing for more contact than you think is safe, the court can make a Contact Order that sets clear boundaries. Equally, if a birth parent is refusing all contact and you believe it is in the child's interest to maintain a relationship, you can apply for a Contact Order requiring them to facilitate it.

The application uses Form C1 at the Family Proceedings Court, the same form used for a Residence Order. The fee structure is the same, and Form ER1 fee exemptions apply.

Prohibited Steps Orders

A Prohibited Steps Order prevents a specific step being taken in relation to the child's upbringing without the court's consent. For kinship carers, the most common uses are:

• Preventing removal from the jurisdiction — if you fear a birth parent might take the child abroad without consent
• Preventing removal from your care — if a birth parent has threatened to turn up at school and take the child
• Preventing a change of school — if a parent with residual Parental Responsibility is attempting to move the child to a different school
• Preventing contact with a named individual — if a person poses a risk to the child

A Residence Order already restricts international removal (no one can take the child out of the UK for more than one month without consent from everyone with Parental Responsibility or court leave), but a Prohibited Steps Order can impose tighter restrictions — including a complete bar on removal.

When Kinship Carers Need These Orders

In practice, most kinship carers start by applying for a Residence Order alone. Contact and Prohibited Steps Orders become relevant when:

• The birth parent's contact is erratic, distressing to the child, or raises safety concerns
• A parent has made threats about removing the child
• There is a dispute about schooling or medical decisions that a Residence Order alone cannot resolve
• The court itself decides that regulated contact or specific prohibitions are needed as part of the welfare assessment

You can apply for these orders at the same time as a Residence Order by specifying them on your Form C1, or apply separately later if circumstances change.

Urgent Applications

If a child is at immediate risk — a parent is about to remove them from the country, for example — you can apply for an emergency Prohibited Steps Order without giving the other party notice. This is called a without-notice or ex parte application, filed using Form C1 and Form C2 with sworn evidence explaining the urgency. If granted, the court schedules a return hearing within 7 to 14 days so the other party can respond.

Our Kinship Care in Northern Ireland guide explains when each type of Article 8 order is appropriate, how to apply for them together or separately, and what the court considers when deciding whether to grant them.

See more Northern Ireland guides →