Professional Supervision, Child Safety and Integrity

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Family Hopes Australia provides community-based supervised contact and supported changeovers, with a 100% commitment to children’s safety and wellbeing, professional integrity, transparent reporting and accountability. We understand that supervised contact can be a sensitive and emotional experience. Our role is to provide a respectful, structured environment where children can maintain family relationships, parents understand the arrangements and everyone is held to clear standards of conduct. Children’s safety, dignity and emotional needs remain central to every decision.

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Our Approach

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Family Hopes Australia operates as a mobile service rather than from a fixed visitation centre. Visits take place at child-focused locations agreed to by both parents and assessed by Family Hopes Australia for suitability. Location assessments consider identified risks, the child’s needs, supervision requirements and relevant court orders or agreements. Community-based contact allows families to participate in everyday activities in a natural setting while maintaining appropriate supervision.

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Quality, Professionalism and Accountability

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Our service standards require supervisors to: Treat children and families with courtesy, fairness and respect. Maintain impartiality, confidentiality and professional boundaries. Remain attentive and responsive throughout each service. Follow agreed arrangements and act promptly when concerns arise.

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Prepare accurate, objective and clearly written observational reports.

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Accountability applies equally to staff and participating parents. Concerns about service quality, staff conduct or parental behaviour are to be taken seriously and assessed fairly against the available information. Identified reporting errors must be addressed transparently. Our commitment is to careful supervision, honest documentation and continuous attention to children’s wellbeing. Although no service can eliminate every risk, these standards support consistent and accountable practice.

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Intake and Preparation

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Before services commence, parents must: Complete the intake process and accept the service agreement. Provide all relevant court orders, parenting agreements and subsequent variations. Disclose information relevant to safe supervision, including medical needs and identified risks. Agree to the location, attendance arrangements and arrival and departure procedures. Discuss any required drug or alcohol testing or language support.

The indicative waiting period is three to four weeks from the date of intake, subject to availability and completion of the necessary arrangements.

Family Hopes Australia communicates about service arrangements with parents, guardians, legal representatives and authorised nominated agents. We do not provide legal advice.

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Active Supervision and Child Wellbeing

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Supervisors remain within sight and hearing of children and visiting parents throughout contact. This enables them to observe interactions, hear conversations, recognise signs of distress and respond promptly. Where children require assistance with toileting or personal hygiene, the supervisor oversees that assistance while respecting the child’s privacy, dignity and safeguarding needs.

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Conversations and activities must be appropriate to the child’s age and emotional wellbeing. Supervisors will intervene where discussions become distressing or inappropriate, including conversations about court proceedings, disputed living arrangements or criticism of the other parent.

A visit will be ended if a parent makes derogatory comments about the other parent. Violent, threatening, intimidating or otherwise unacceptable behaviour will also result in termination.

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Family Hopes Australia may pause or discontinue contact and review future arrangements where a child remains unwilling to participate, displays ongoing distress or appears at risk of physical, psychological or emotional harm. Child protection concerns will be addressed in accordance with applicable reporting obligations.

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Recording, Reporting and Confidentiality

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Family Hopes Australia audio records supervised visits, subject to applicable legal requirements and relevant court orders. Recording arrangements and any required consent must be addressed before recording begins. Audio recordings support transparency, assist in clarifying disputed accounts and allow concerns about staff or participant conduct to be reviewed. They complement active supervision and written reports; they cannot capture every action or non-verbal interaction. Written observational reports are included with the contact and changeover services listed below. Reports document relevant conversations, non-verbal behaviour, significant events, concerns and any action taken by the supervisor.

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Our reporting standard is factual, objective and transparent. Reports must clearly distinguish direct observations from information provided by others and any professional interpretation. Assumptions and unverified allegations must not be presented as established facts. Recordings and reports must be handled confidentially, stored securely and accessed or disclosed only for authorised purposes. Where lawfully authorised or required, they may assist future legal proceedings.

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Arrival, Departure and Changeovers

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Parents must comply with the agreed arrival and departure times and all directions concerning parking, entry and collection. Changeovers are arranged so that only one parent is present at a time. The non-visiting parent must not attend or return to the location once the visit has commenced without written approval from Family Hopes Australia. A deliberate breach of arrangements intended to prevent parents from crossing paths will result in termination of the visit. These procedures support calm transitions and allow the supervisor to focus on the child’s needs.

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Attendance and Authorised Collection

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Only approved participants may attend supervised contact. Additional attendees require the other parent’s written agreement, completion of an intake assessment and approval under the service arrangements. Additional charges apply, and attendance must remain consistent with relevant court orders.

Children will only be released to an authorised person. Collection by someone other than a parent requires prior authorisation consistent with relevant orders. Photographic identification will be requested, with a copy retained securely. Police will be contacted if anyone attempts to remove a child from the agreed location without authorisation during supervised contact.

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Health, Alcohol and Drugs

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Parents must advise Family Hopes Australia of any infectious or contagious illness affecting a participant. Medical clearance must be provided where required before attendance resumes. Service may be refused or discontinued where a participant appears affected by alcohol or drugs. Supervisors will document observable concerns, such as the smell of alcohol, slurred speech or impaired coordination, without presenting those observations as a confirmed diagnosis or test result. Any testing arrangements must be discussed before services commence.

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Expectations During Contact

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To maintain a child-focused environment: Mobile phones must be switched off unless an exception has been approved. Conversations must be understood by the supervisor. Any necessary language support must be arranged in advance. Gifts are restricted to special occasions unless otherwise approved. Gifts and cards must be opened in the supervisor’s presence. Legal documents must not be served during visits or changeovers.

Staff will only relay information or items between parents where directly relevant to the child’s immediate wellbeing, such as medication, injuries or essential care needs.

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Cancellations and Late Attendance

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Parents should provide at least 24 hours’ notice of cancellation, including the reason for non-attendance. If unexpected circumstances prevent this, notification must be provided as soon as possible, with at least four hours’ notice wherever practicable. Cancellation charges apply in accordance with the service agreement. If an expected participant has not arrived within 15–20 minutes, Family Hopes Australia will attempt to contact them. If contact cannot be established, the visit may be cancelled. Agreed arrival and departure times remain applicable.

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Fees

(excluding GST)

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Intake assessment $200 Per person

Supervised contact — weekday $120 Per hour

Supervised contact — weekend $240 Per hour

Changeover — weekday $60 Per changeover, up to 30 minutes

Changeover — weekend $120 Per changeover, up to 30 minutes

FaceTime or Zoom contact — weekday $60 Up to 30 minutes

FaceTime or Zoom contact — weekend $120 Up to 30 minutes

Public holiday services $300 Per hour

Transport $3.60 Per kilometre

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Written observational reports are included with supervised contact, changeovers and FaceTime or Zoom contact.

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Service Agreement and Review

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Parents are responsible for providing relevant information, following safety directions and complying with agreed conditions. Family Hopes Australia remains responsible for fulfilling its supervision obligations.​ Where an incident or concern arises, service arrangements may be reviewed before further contact takes place. All participating parents must accept the service agreement before services commence.

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Please complete your details below if you are wanting to engage in Supervised contact one of our staff members will respond to your inquiry 1-2 weeks.