Child Protection Service

What is Child Protection?#

A child protection service is aimed at children and young people who are at risk of harm, and whose families are unable or unwilling to protect them. Its main functions are to:

• Receive reports from the community when someone has formed a reasonable belief that a child or young person is at risk of harm.
• Investigate matters where it is assessed that a child may be at risk of significant harm.
• Refer children and families to services that help provide for their ongoing safety and wellbeing.
• Apply to the court when a child is at significant risk and their safety cannot be ensured within the family, and administer any protection orders granted.

Responsibility for keeping children safe is shared by families, the wider community, community agencies, professionals working with children, police and government. Early identification and effective intervention can reduce the immediate and long-term effects of child abuse and support the recovery of the children and families involved.

The service system#

A range of services aim to support families and protect children. These can be grouped into three levels:

• Universal services are offered to everyone in the community. They include antenatal services (such as pregnancy counseling and advice), maternal and child health services, and preschool education. They aim to provide support and help prevent abuse and neglect.
• Secondary services identify and reduce the personal and social stresses on parents that can lead to family breakdown or child abuse. They include in-home family help, financial or family counseling, respite care, and various parenting and self-help groups.
• Tertiary (statutory) services are for children who are, or may be, at risk of significant harm and who need intervention for their ongoing safety. They include statutory child protection and out-of-home care for children who cannot live at home.

Where families are experiencing difficulties, it is generally more appropriate for less intrusive community-based professionals and agencies to support the family in the first instance. A report to child protection is made when a child or young person is considered to be at risk of significant harm within their family environment.

The role of Child Protection#

Child protection provides child-centered, family-focused services to protect children and young people at risk of significant harm. It also aims to link them with appropriate support services and therapeutic interventions to help them manage the trauma they have experienced. In practice, child protection:

• receives reports from people who believe on reasonable grounds that a child is in need of protection
• investigates matters where it is believed a child has been abused or is at risk of significant harm, and the parents or carers are unable or unlikely to protect the child
• refers children and families to services that help provide for the children’s ongoing safety and wellbeing
• provides advice to people who report concerns
• supervises children on legal orders and takes matters before the court if a child’s safety cannot be assured within the family

Who can report#

Anyone can make a report if they believe a child needs protection. In many places, certain professionals are also legally required to report when, in the course of their work, they form a reasonable belief that a child is in need of protection and the child’s parents have not protected, or are unlikely to protect, the child. Where mandatory reporting applies, the professionals covered commonly include:

• school principals and teachers
• registered nurses, including midwives
• registered medical practitioners, such as doctors
• police
• out-of-home care workers
• early childhood and youth justice workers
• registered psychologists and school counselors
• people in religious ministry

The exact list and legal requirements vary by jurisdiction, so check the rules that apply where you live.

Suspected abuse may be physical, emotional or sexual, or it may involve neglect. The person making a report is not expected to prove the abuse, and the law generally protects the identity of the person reporting.

Making a report#

Deciding to report can be difficult. However, where a child’s parents appear unwilling or unable to care for and protect them, another responsible adult needs to make sure the child’s situation is assessed and the necessary action is taken.

To make a report of child abuse, contact your local child protection service as soon as possible. Reporting arrangements, including phone numbers and after-hours services, differ from place to place, so use the contact details for the area where the child lives. If you are unsure how to reach the service, your local health authority can point you in the right direction.

Intake workers are skilled in assessing the risks to children. When you call, they will talk through your concerns and ask a series of questions to gain a clear understanding of the situation and assess what action may be needed.

What happens after a report#

After you report your concerns, child protection decides whether the child or young person is in a situation that meets the legal definition of a child in need of protection.

• If the report does not require further action by child protection, a worker may discuss other options with you, including referrals to organizations that can help the family.
• If the report requires further action, a decision is made about how urgent the situation is. Urgent cases generally involve contact with the family within a short, defined timeframe, while non-urgent cases may take longer to investigate.

In cases where physical or sexual abuse is alleged, the police will be contacted and may take part in the investigation. Many areas also run a 24-hour or after-hours emergency service that receives new reports and concerns about children considered to be at immediate risk.

Key points#

• Investigate matters where Child Protection assesses that a child may be at risk of significant harm
• These services aim to provide support and help to prevent abuse and neglect
• Child Protection Intake Workers are skilled in assessing the risks to children

Where to get help#