Re F (children)(contact order: Violence during supervised contact)

The parents separated after the father had been violent towards the mother. The parents had three children. The children were placed in foster care and care proceedings commenced.

The mother's mental state was causing the local authority concern, and the care proceedings involved psychiatric evidence about her and psychological evidence about both parents and the children.

The father responded and the children were subsequently returned to live with him. Although the mother had been diagnosed with a severe psychotic illness, a psychiatrist had assessed her as competent to manage her own affairs.

A number of hearings took place to consider the mother's contact with the children. Those hearings culminated in an order that the mother have direct but supervised contact with the children.