Note: All references to 'schools' in this guidance includes school boarding premises.
School staff have a range of reporting and legal obligations to protect children and young people from abuse.
School staff have a vital role in protecting children from harm and are well placed to observe signs or behaviours that may indicate risks of child abuse.
School staff must follow the Four Critical Actions as soon as they witness an incident, receive a disclosure, or form a reasonable belief that a child has been abused or is at risk of being abused.
School staff have a range of reporting and legal obligations to report suspected child abuse and provide ongoing appropriate support. These are described below.
All schools are required to comply with the Child Safe Standards and Ministerial Order 1359 to create and maintain a child safe organisation where children and young people are protected from abuse.
For information on the Child Safe Standards, refer to Child Safe Standards .
Principals must notify the Employee Conduct Branch as soon as possible after becoming aware of an allegation of reportable conduct against a current or former department or school council staff member, contractor or volunteer. This applies regardless of whether the alleged victim is or was a student at the school.
There is an allegation of reportable conduct where a person has a reasonable belief that there has been:
All allegations of reportable conduct must be reported to the Employee Conduct Branch. An allegation does not need to be substantiated to be reported.
The department's Employee Conduct Branch will report allegations of reportable conduct raised against department staff (including contractors, volunteers, allied health workers and other office holders) who are 18 years or over to the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP).
The contact number for the Employee Conduct Branch is 03 7022 0005 .
For more information, refer to: Reportable Conduct Scheme .
A mandatory reporter must report to Child Protection as soon as practicable if in the course of practising their profession or carrying out their duties, they form a belief on reasonable grounds that:
It may be a criminal offence not to report in these circumstances.
Individuals who are required to report:
All adults must report to Victoria Police when they form a reasonable belief that a sexual offence has been committed by an adult against a child under the age of 16.
Failure to disclose the information may be a criminal offence unless there is a ‘reasonable excuse’ or an individual has an 'exemption' from doing so.
If an adult that reasonably believes that a sexual offence has been committed against a child under the age of 16 by another adult, then they must call Victoria Police on 000 or the local police station.
For more information, refer to the Department of Justice and Community Safety website: Failure to disclose offence External Link
Principals or school leadership staff who become aware that an adult associated with the school (such as an employee, contractor, volunteer or visitor) poses a risk of sexual abuse to a child under the care of the school (including grooming) must take all reasonable steps to remove or reduce that risk.
This may include removing the adult from child-connected and child-related work pending investigation. Failure to do so may be a criminal offence.
Schools should contact the Employee Conduct Branch on 03 7022 0005 for advice before removing a person from child connected or child related work.
The obligation to protect a child applies to any staff member in a position of authority (for example principals, assistant principals and campus principals).
For more information, refer to the Department of Justice and Community Safety website: Failure to protect offence External Link
All school staff have a duty of care to take reasonable steps to protect children in their care from harm that is reasonably foreseeable. In relation to suspected child abuse, reasonable steps may include (but are not limited to):
For more information, refer to:
Guidance for staff on what action to take if you suspect, or are witness to student sexual offending is available at Identify and respond to student sexual offending External Link
All concerns about the wellbeing of a child (or unborn child) should be taken seriously and acted upon.
Any adult can make a referral to Child FIRST External Link
School staff must contact Victoria Police if:
School staff can contact Child Protection if:
For contact details visit:
Definitions related to the Child Safe Standards and Ministerial Order 1359 can be found at: Child Safety: Definitions External Link
Department policy on legal obligations with respect to protecting children and young people from abuse, including mandatory reporting requirements