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Purpose 

This policy sets out how Roundabout Canberra manages the registration of, and works with social service partners to provide material support to children and families. It establishes the principles and responsibilities applying to partner registration, orders, distribution of items and appropriate use of the service. 

Roundabout Canberra does not assess or provide material support directly to families. Support is provided through approved social service partners that assess need and maintain the professional relationship with the family. 

Scope 

This policy applies to: 

It applies to all material support provided through Roundabout Canberra’s social service partner model, whether items are collected or delivered. 

This policy should be read with the Privacy Policy, Complaints Policy and other relevant operational procedures. 

Definitions 

Term Definition  
Authorised representative A worker or other person authorised by a registered social service partner to access Roundabout Canberra’s service on its behalf. 
Distribution The provision of material items through collection or delivery. 
Order A request for material support submitted to Roundabout Canberra on behalf of a family. 
Social service partner An organisation approved by Roundabout Canberra to request material support for children and families with whom it has a professional service relationship. 

Child Safety and Safeguarding 

Roundabout Canberra is committed to the safety, dignity and wellbeing of children and young people and to ensuring our service model supports strong safeguarding practices. 

Our approach to child safety is embedded in our operating model. We do not engage directly with families; instead, all support is provided through trusted referral partners, including schools and community service organisations. Social service partners maintain the professional relationship with families and are responsible for assessing need and providing appropriate safeguarding oversight. Roundabout Canberra works with organisations that share a commitment to child safety and ethical practice. 

This model reduces risks associated with direct service delivery and helps protect the physical and psychological safety of vulnerable children and families. 

Regardless, all Roundabout Canberra staff are required to hold current Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registrations.  

If a concern relating to the safety or wellbeing of a child arises through our service, it will be escalated through the social service partner in line with their safeguarding responsibilities and internally through Roundabout Canberra’s management team. 

Cultural Safety and Respect 

Roundabout Canberra acknowledges the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and work, and we pay our respects to Elders past and present.  We are committed to providing a service that is culturally safe and respectful for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities. 

Our model is designed to uphold dignity and support self-determination. We work through trusted social service partners, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, recognising their leadership, knowledge and role in supporting families and communities. 

We listen, learn and adapt our approach based on feedback from partners and communities to ensure the support we provide is appropriate, respectful and responsive. 

We recognise that reconciliation is an ongoing journey and are committed to building trust, strengthening relationships, and contributing to better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. 

Service Model 

Orders must be submitted by authorised representatives of approved social service partners. Items may be collected by an authorised representative or delivered to an approved service location where delivery is available. Individuals and family members are not able to collect items directly. 

This model supports: 

Delivery availability is determined by Roundabout Canberra and may depend on location, capacity, scheduling, item size, urgency and safe access.  Items will be delivered to an approved service location or another agreed professional service address. Roundabout Canberra does not deliver directly to families or private residences.  

Social service partners are responsible for ensuring that recipients understand how to safely assemble, install and use items provided by Roundabout Canberra. This includes advising families to follow all supplied instructions, and where a recipient may not have the ability or resources to do so independently, providing assistance or arranging appropriate support.  

Social service partners are responsible for providing accurate delivery information and ensuring an authorised person is available to receive the items.  Roundabout Canberra may alter, postpone or decline a delivery where it cannot be completed safely or reasonably. 

Registration and Approval 

Social service partners must be registered and approved by Roundabout Canberra before accessing the service. Workers accessing the service must be authorised to act on behalf of the registered organisation and meet Roundabout Canberra’s registration requirements. 

Social service partners are responsible for ensuring their organisation and authorised representative details remain current. 

Registration is generally available to organisations that provide professional health, education, social, community or family support services and that maintain a direct service relationship with the families for whom support is requested. 

Roundabout Canberra may verify an organisation’s identity, service role, contact details and suitability before approving registration. Individual workers are required to register or demonstrate that they are authorised to act on behalf of the organisation. 

Registration does not guarantee that an order will be accepted or fulfilled. Support remains subject to eligibility, availability, prioritisation and organisational capacity. 

Requests 

A separate order must be submitted through the approved Order Form for each family requiring support. 

To ensure accuracy and integrity of records, social service partners are required to provide relevant information about the family and order as requested in the form. An individual or family may receive assistance more than once. Social service partners may submit additional requests over time as needs arise. 

Social service partners are encouraged to discuss requested items with families to ensure: 

Availability and Prioritisation 

Roundabout Canberra provides material items for children and families within its current service scope. Available items, age ranges, quantities and eligibility requirements are set out in the order form or can be provided by Roundabout Canberra on request.   

Item availability may change in response to demand, stock, safety requirements and organisational capacity.  Registration or submission of an order does not guarantee that all requested items will be supplied.  Roundabout Canberra may substitute, limit or decline items where they are unavailable, unsuitable, outside the organisation’s service scope or unable to be provided safely.  

 Orders are prioritised fairly and consistently, taking account of factors including urgency, vulnerability, item availability and Roundabout Canberra’s service capacity. Roundabout Canberra uses its Case Prioritisation Matrix to guide decision-making and support the fair and consistent allocation of limited resources. 

Our partnership approach 

Roundabout Canberra values the relationships we have with social service partners and recognises their knowledge, expertise and understanding of the children and families they support. 

We aim to make accessing material support straightforward, respectful and responsive. We work collaboratively with social service partners, communicate openly and welcome questions and feedback about our service. 

Our shared aim is to ensure material support reaches children and families safely, appropriately and with dignity. 

Working together: expectations and responsibilities 

Roundabout Canberra relies on social service partners to assess the needs of the families they support and maintain the professional relationship with those families. We recognise and respect the professional judgement of our partners and aim to support them to access appropriate material assistance. 

When using Roundabout Canberra’s service, we ask social service partners to provide accurate and relevant information, ensure they have appropriate authority to share personal information, request items that are reasonably needed, and let us know when circumstances change or an order is no longer required. 

Social service partners are responsible for ensuring items collected or delivered are transferred safely and promptly to the intended family and used for their intended purpose. 

What social service partners can expect from us 

Roundabout Canberra will provide social service partners with clear information about our service, available support and how to access it. We aim to process orders fairly and consistently, communicate openly where we are unable to meet a request, and treat partners and the families they support with respect and dignity. 

Social service partners can expect to ask questions, provide feedback and raise concerns about our service, and for those concerns to be considered respectfully.  

Privacy and Dignity 

Roundabout Canberra values the privacy and dignity of all individuals and families supported through our service.   

Social service partners must only provide personal information that is reasonably necessary for Roundabout Canberra to process and fulfil an order and must have appropriate authority or consent to share that information. 

Roundabout Canberra will minimise the personal information it requests and will collect, use and manage information in accordance with its Privacy Policy. 

Feedback and Complaints 

Roundabout Canberra applies relevant safety and quality checks to items before they are distributed.  If a fault or safety concern is identified after collection or delivery, the social service partner must notify Roundabout Canberra as soon as practicable. 

Roundabout Canberra welcomes feedback and will respond to concerns relating to registration, orders, items, collection, delivery or access to the service. 

Wherever appropriate, we encourage concerns to be raised early so they can be discussed and resolved informally.   

Social service partners may also make a formal complaint in accordance with Roundabout Canberra’s Complaints Policy.  Complaints will be handled fairly, respectfully and as a confidentially as reasonably possible. A social service partner will not be disadvantaged for raising a genuine concern or complaint in good faith.  

Withdrawal of Service Access 

Roundabout Canberra may decline an order or suspend or cancel access to the service where there are concerns about safety, privacy, inappropriate use, unauthorised access, inaccurate information or conduct inconsistent with this policy.  

Where concerns arise, Roundabout Canberra will generally seek to address them through respectful and open discussion with the social service partner. Where appropriate, we will clarify expectations, consider the partner’s perspective and provide a reasonable opportunity to address the concern before access is suspended or withdrawn. 

Immediate restriction or suspension of access may occur where necessary to manage a serious safety, safeguarding, privacy or operational risk. 

Date Approved 26 October 2026