Handover Services
Our child handover service provides a safe, neutral point for a child to move between separated parents, without the two parties needing to meet. It removes the tension, awkwardness, and potential for conflict at the moment of transfer, so that the focus stays where it belongs — on the child.
What the service is
A handover is a short, managed exchange. One parent brings the child to one of our centres; a member of our team receives the child and, after a brief settling period, hands them to the other parent. The parents arrive and leave at staggered times and use separate areas, so they do not come into contact with one another.
We hold NACCC enhanced accreditation and focus exclusively on contact services, so every handover is carried out to a recognised professional standard.
How it works
- A referral is made — by a parent, solicitor, mediator, or local authority.
- We confirm arrangements with both parties and agree staggered arrival and departure times.
- On the day, our team receives the child and completes the handover to the other parent.
- The process is repeated in reverse at the end of the contact period.
As long as both parties engage, we put services in place within seven days — with no waiting list, rather than the six to nine months common elsewhere.
Why it helps families
Handovers protect children from witnessing conflict at what can be a stressful moment. They give both parents a predictable, dignified routine and a documented, impartial record of each exchange. Above all, they keep a child's relationship with each parent going, whatever the family now looks like.
When it is used
- Where direct contact between parents is difficult, unsafe, or best avoided.
- Where a court order or agreement specifies a neutral handover point.
- Where a family needs a settled arrangement while other matters are resolved.
- As a step down from supervised or supported contact.
