The reporting process
It should be noted that Child protection and Child FIRST work in partnership and will refer/report to each other if it is assessed the other service is best placed to respond to the concerns.
The professionals’ reporting guide available in the Victorian Child Protection Manual (link below) is applicable to all professionals and is the approved guide to be utilised by professionals considering making a report to Child Protection.
CPMANUAL
Professionals’ reporting guide | Child Protection Manual
www.cpmanual.vic.gov.au/advice-and-protocols/protocols/professionals-reporting-guide If you print and store this document, you may be looking at an outdated version and this may impact on your duty of care. Always check the latest version in the online manual before taking action under this procedure. Please make sure the printed procedures are kept securely.READ MORE CPMANUAL
If you are a mandated reporter, then you must contact DHHS – Child Protection and follow your reporting responsibilities. You may be requested by your organisation to inform your supervisor that you are making a report but it is important that you are not prevented from making a report by anyone in your organisation.
Who is mandated to report in Victoria?
The following are mandatory reporters in Victoria:
- registered medical practitioners
- nurses
- midwives
- registered teachers and early childhood teachers
- school principals
- school counsellors
- police officers
- out of home care workers (excluding voluntary foster and kinship carers)
- early childhood workers
- youth justice workers
- registered psychologists
- people in religious ministry.
Child Protection legislation requires that a mandated reporter holding a reasonable beliefthat a child is being harmed or at risk of being harmed has a legal responsibility to make a report to Child Protection and may not be prevented from doing so by anyone within their organisation.
Module 4 Summary:
- The protection of children is everybody’s responsibility
- The protection of children is complex and can present many dilemmas. You and your personnel may require support to address these issues.
- It is critical to believe children when they tell you about their experiences of abuse or exploitation
- Reporting child abuse can be the first step in protecting a child from abuse. Failing to act can have devastating consequences for a child or young person
- Proof is not required to make a report to statutory authorities about child abuse
- It takes a lot of courage for a child or young person to disclose an incident of child abuse. Children rarely make up stories of abuse
- Children or young people who disclose abuse need to be treated in a sensitive and respectful manner
- It is important to act if you or any of your personnel have a concern about a child. This may require supporting the child, other personnel and the alleged perpetrator