Information for Referrers to Children’s Supervised Contact

Making a referral to Family Focus’s Supervised Contact Service
This leaflet provides some initial information about our service, what you can expect from Family Focus and what we will expect from you as a referrer. Meeting these expectations will:

• Prioritise the safety and paramountcy of children in this process
• Ensure a family receives the best possible outcomes from using our service

What Supervised Contact Services are currently available?
Supervised Contact enables a child to spend time with a parent or family member with whom they do not have day to day contact, supervised by trained Family Focus staff ensuring a safe and child friendly environment.
On-site Supervised Contact is a service where child(ren) are supervised at a local centre. Sessions are usually for 1 ½ hours and have staggered arrival and departure times to ensure safety for all parties.
Supervised Changeover is a service where child(ren) are supervised as they transfer from one parent to the other, to ensure that cross-over times are safe, positive, and child-focused

What does the referral process involve?
Once the referral information is received, Family Focus initiates a comprehensive assessment process where the Contact Coordinator meets separately with parties/caregivers and the child(ren) to determine the best fit with the service. This provides an opportunity for parties to raise questions or concerns and also discuss and agree to the visit rules which ensure the child’s best interests are paramount. If a decision is made to proceed, the children will visit the centre to ensure it feels a safe, familiar, and friendly place. Once the assessment process is completed the sessions, supervised by trained staff, will be scheduled and confirmed.

What are Family Focus’s expectations of referrers?
To ensure the well-being and safety of children in Supervised Contact and to minimize conflict between parties, key tasks for the referrer are:

• To complete all the required details on the Referrer Information Form to identify the family situation, current issues, risks, and safety concerns
• To attach relevant supporting documentation
• To ensure parties are informed of and have a clear understanding of the Supervised Contact assessment requirements and service delivery processes

Click here to download a copy of the Supervised Contact booklet