Our commitment to child-focused care.

At Blue Door Psychology, our priority is the wellbeing and best interests of the children and young people we support.

Amongst the families that attend our clinic, many we work with are separated. This policy explains how we manage consent, communication, access to information, and safety when parents are separated, so the assessment process is ethical, practical, and child focused. Please read this policy carefully.

Your responsibility to keep us informed.

It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian engaging our services to tell us, accurately and honestly, about the current family situation, including:

• Whether parents share parental responsibility

• Whether there are any court orders, parenting plans, intervention orders, or safety concerns

• What involvement the other parent will have during the assessment process

Where relevant documents exist, we require a copy before (or at the latest, at) the first appointment.

Working together (where both parents are involved).

It is our expectation that separated parents work together respectfully, cooperatively, and communicate effectively to support the assessment process and the child’s care.

Where both parents are involved in the child’s life, it is best practice for the psychologist to gather information from both parents during the assessment, before drawing diagnostic conclusions or making recommendations. This helps ensure the assessment reflects the child’s needs across relationships and settings, rather than relying on one perspective only.

We also ask that parents keep communication with our team child-focused and constructive and avoid involving the clinic in parental conflict or using the assessment process to progress disputes between adults.

If significant conflict impacts consent, attendance, information gathering, or the child’s wellbeing, we may pause the assessment until a workable arrangement is in place.

Consent to assessment.

As a general policy, we usually require consent from both parents before commencing an assessment.

It is the responsibility of the parent engaging our services to ensure the other parent is aware of, and consents to, the assessment process (unless an exception applies).

Exceptions:

There may be circumstances where consent from both parents is not required. Examples may include (but are not limited to):

• The other parent is deceased

• The other parent is uncontactable (e.g., lives overseas)

• The other parent has never been involved in the child’s life

• A court order or legal document restricts a parent’s involvement

These situations are assessed case by case.

Please note: both-parent consent is not always a strict legal requirement. However, due to the complexity that can arise in separated families, this is our clinic policy in most situations.

Appointments, attendance and access to information.

Unless restricted by a court order, either parent or legal guardian may:

• schedule an appointment for the child

• attend the child’s appointment (where clinically appropriate)

• request access to the child’s records, including assessment reports, subject to our legal and ethical obligations

Where lawful and appropriate, we may provide the other parent with copies of reports and relevant correspondence upon request.

If one parent schedules an appointment, it is their responsibility to:

• inform the other parent

• invite them to participate (where appropriate)

• share relevant feedback with them

Reports, records, and communication.

Assessment reports are typically provided to the parent who engages our services and attends the appointments. It is that parent’s responsibility to forward the report to the other parent.

If both parents request it (and there are no restrictions), we can provide copies of correspondence to each parent.

We do not have capacity to provide separate feedback appointments to each parent as a standard service. We welcome both parents attending feedback together where appropriate.

If significant conflict prevents joint attendance, we may recommend families seek legal advice or agree on a process before we proceed.

Fees and payments.

Payment is required on the day of the appointment (at minimum).

It is the responsibility of parents to decide:

• who will attend

• who will pay

• how any shared costs will be managed

We can provide invoices in advance for pre-payment, and we can accept part-payments/split payments where arranged ahead of time (or where both parents are present).

High conflict, safety, or disrupted care.

Where there is significant conflict, we may:

• request relevant court orders or written evidence of decision-making authority

• require signed consent from both parents before continuing

• pause or delay services until disputes are resolved

• discharge the family if conflict is disruptive to the clinic or impedes the child’s care or safety

Our service must remain clinically focused, safe, and workable.

What we do not provide.

We do not accept referrals where the primary purpose of the assessment is to produce information for legal proceedings or custody/parenting disputes.

If you require a court report or family law assessment, we can suggest alternative pathways.

Updates to this policy.

This policy may change from time to time. The current version is available on our website.

Last updated: February 2026

Questions, concerns, or complaints.

If you have questions or concerns about this policy, please contact us by phone or email, or discuss it with us in person.

You can also view or download our Complaints and Feedback Process via our website.