Hopeline Phones (Phones in Homes)

A simple, structural fix to keep kids safer in residential care.

When I was a kid, we had a phone at home. I knew the Kids Helpline number and I knew I could reach someone if I ever needed to. That safety net matters. I’ve since worked as a residential care youth worker and as a correctional officer, and I’ve seen perfectly “normal” families—including high-profile and wealthy families—enter the child protection system. I’ve also seen how inmates often receive clearer, safer pathways to support than children in care.

The reality today

• All inmates in New South Wales get a tablet computer to maintain family contact and access support services.

• All kids in state care don’t get a landline. Children in South Australian residential care generally can’t pick up a dedicated, independent phone to call for help—even Kids Helpline.

• Meanwhile, substantiated harm in SA out-of-home care is trending the wrong way:

  Rates of abuse and neglect whilst in state care.

  2021–22: (2.9%) = 156

  2022–23: (3.1%) = 171

  2023–24: (4.2%) =231

  156 + 171 + 231 = 558 Children

The fix
Install a fixed, tamper-proof, child-friendly Hopeline Phone in every residential care home—

no staff permission needed. Pre-program it with:

• Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) and 000

• The SA Guardian/Community Visitor

• Mental-health support (e.g., CAMHS)

• (Optionally) specific family/friends after a robust risk assessment

Why it works

• Independent disclosure: Kids can speak privately without asking the very people they may fear.

• Deterrence & accountability: A visible, child-controlled line out lifts standards across a home.

• Earlier intervention: Help can be sought in minutes, not months.

• My analysis indicates this reform will reduce the rate of abuse and neglect in care by lowering disclosure barriers, enabling earlier responses, and deterring misconduct.

How I will deliver it
I’m advancing the Child Safety and Communication Enhancement Act 2025 to mandate Hopeline Phones, protect privacy (no recordings, no metadata mining), require regular compliance audits, and allow VoIP where landlines aren’t viable—without relying on personal mobiles or staff devices.

Bottom line
If inmates are guaranteed a tablet, children in state care should—at minimum—have a phone they can trust. Hopeline Phones aren’t gadgets; they’re dignity, safety, and a voice—hard-wired.