The services of the Toowoomba Children’s Contact Centre are designed and managed to ensure a safe, neutral environment for all participants of supervised contact visits and changeovers, including clients, staff and volunteers.  Policy around declining cases needs to be consistent, fair and transparent and support the goals of the service of keeping the Children’s Contact Services safe and child-focused. The Service will not take on cases which exceed the capacity of the Service to meet the individual needs of the child for support and protection from harm and/or where the demands of a client exceed the ability of the Service to meet such demands and/or where such demands contravene the Best Practice or Vision of the Service. 

GUIDELINES: 

The Service may decline to progress referrals, or refuse service from interviews with parents/guardians where: 

1. Applicants are abusive or threatening to staff during telephone conversations or initial enquiries in the lead-up to intake interviews, causing reasonable concerns about being able to maintain a secure working environment.

1. Where there is an ongoing dispute with another Service or Department that resulted in the withdrawal of service due to safety concerns regarding staff and/or others attending that Service or Department. 

1. Where applicants refuse to sign their agreement to keep to Service conditions or where their behaviour at the time of interview causes concerns about their capacity or willingness to cooperate with Service conditions.

1. Where the child expresses strong levels of fear of having contact with their separated parent, and their fear cannot be relieved by reassurance about how they will be protected during supervised contact visits.

1. Where the special needs or behaviour of the child/ren or their parent is beyond the capacity of the Service to manage during visits.

1. Where the complexity of the case exceeds the Service capacity in available expertise, such as where the case could reasonably require therapeutic facilitation of contact to progress the contact relationship, and this is not available due to resource constraints.

 In the event that an individual is excluded from the TCCC the following will occur:

(a)    The will be advised in writing of the reason that they have been excluded from the Service.

(b)    They will be provided with a copy of the TCCC’s Exclusion Policy and Grievance Procedure.