Supervised Children’s Contact

Lilly Pilly’s enables contact arrangements to occur with a minimum of stress for both children and parents. Supervised Contact can also help with establishing a relationship between children and parents when there has been a period of limited or no contact.

Lilly Pilly’s provide a safe and supportive environment through:

• Allowing children to go from one parent to another without being exposed to conflict
• Children are able to maintain a relationship with their other parent or family member with out any pressure
• Ensuring that the child’s best interests are always the first priority during the visit
• Making the parent or loved one feel welcomed to have contact with the child on neutral ground

Lilly Pilly recognises that contact visits, where court ordered or by agreement, are an opportunity for families to maintain ongoing relationships or develop new ones, by giving parents and significant others, with whom the children do not live, the opportunity to meet in a safe, relaxed and non‐judgmental environment.

Please be aware that while Lilly Pilly seeks to assist, it is not our role to negotiate between the parties and we ask that the initial arrangements regarding the visitation/transportation be developed and agreed upon and then provided to Lilly Pilly. Any ongoing changes to those arrangements should be managed in the same way.

 PROCEDURE FOR ORGANISING SUPERVISED CONTACT WITH LILLY PILLY

1. Lilly Pilly is approached by a family or their legal representatives regarding supervision of supervised contact/transportation of the children/young people.

2. Intake forms are downloaded from the website and completed, requiring signing by the parties prior to being returned to Lilly Pilly.

3. Costing is agreed as per Lilly Pilly pricelist. Payment can be made via EFT or cash on the day.

4. Visitation/transportation details are discussed. This includes, but is not limited to, where the children/young people reside, where the parent(s) reside– who may/may not attend the visit, any special medical/dietary/psychological needs of the children that must be observed, some family history, details about court orders, details about any restraints such as DVOs, and safety concerns involving the children and others.

5. Payment is made at least 48 hours prior to a scheduled visit and send confirmation to support@lillypilly.org.au.

6. You receive confirmation of payment being received and a scheduled visit.

7. Access visit/transportation takes place at the agreed time.

 PROCEDURE FOR CHANGEOVERS ON DAY OF SUPERVISED CONTACT

1. The parent to be supervised arrives at centre at least 15 minutes before contact.

2. The primary carer arrives with child at correct agreed time, NOT before or after.

3. Supervised contact visit takes place.

4. The primary carer arrives at correct agreed time upon completion of contact, NOT before or after.

5. The parent to be supervised departs centre at least 15 minutes after contact.

 PROCEDURE FOR SUPERVISED VIDEO CALL CONTACT

Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to outline Lilly Pilly’s role and responsibilities in facilitating supervised video call contact between children and the supervised parent, ensuring that all interactions occur in a safe, child-focused, and legally compliant environment. The usual Lilly Pilly rules apply to video and audio calls, as would for in-person visitations.

Role of Lilly Pilly

Lilly Pilly acts as a neutral third party during supervised video call contact. The supervisor’s role is to:

• Support the safe and positive interaction between the child/ren and the supervised parent.

• Ensure that communication is appropriate, respectful, and in the child’s best interests.

• Intervene when necessary to maintain emotional safety and compliance with any court orders or departmental directives.

Platforms and Technology

Supervised video calls are conducted via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, both of which provide secure and confidential online environments.

All sessions are conducted in accordance with the Department of Health Guideline – Recording and Distribution of Meetings (QH-GDL-484-2), particularly Obligation 4.2.2, which outlines the responsibilities regarding the recording, storage, and handling of meeting data.

Legal and Reporting Obligations

Lilly Pilly supervisors are Mandatory Reporters under the Child Protection Act 1999 (QLD), sections 13E and 13F.
They also act as Service Providers as defined under section 151 of the Online Safety Act 2021, and therefore must ensure that all online interactions are conducted in a way that prioritises child safety, privacy, and wellbeing.

Recording and Privacy Compliance

In accordance with the Invasion of Privacy Act 1971, the recording of supervised video or audio calls is considered reasonably necessary to protect the interests of the child.

Given that many families engaging with Lilly Pilly are involved in ongoing legal proceedings, recording is also compliant with section 138 of the Evidence Act 1995, ensuring that accurate records of supervised contact are maintained for evidentiary and safeguarding purposes.

All recordings are:

• Securely stored in accordance with Lilly Pilly’s data protection policies.

• Accessible only to authorised personnel or parties as required by law or court order.

• Not distributed externally without appropriate legal authority or parental consent.