How your information is handled

When you use this website

You can read about the use of cookies, and the automatic collection of information about visitors to this website at the Victorian government's Privacy page.

When you email, phone or contact us through this website

The Restorative Engagement and Support team helps former students who were sexually abused by adults in Victorian government schools. They provide information and initial assistance. The information we collect from you, and how we use it, will depend on your reason for contacting us.

Initial assistance

The Restorative Engagement and Support team can provide information on support services. They can also connect you with resources for advice on compensation options.

If you prefer, we can share this information without you giving us your name. We may keep a record of some details or feedback to help us understand how to improve our support, but your details can be anonymous. In some cases, we might request your contact details so we can get back to you.

You can choose to give us more information if you would like the department to keep a record of your experiences. You might want to share your name, school, enrolment dates (if you know them), and the name and role of the person who harmed you (if you remember those details). We would keep this information in our secure system. We would also share the name of the person who harmed you with the Conduct and Integrity Division. This team handles records about staff conduct.

Accessing more support

If you want more help from the department, we might ask for more information. For example:

• Finding school records – To help you locate your school records, we’ll need some details. We’ll ask you for your name, the school you attended, and the rough dates you were there. If you share information about any sexual abuse you experienced, our team will keep a record of it. If you'd rather not tell us, you can learn how to access your records yourself at Accessing school records as a victim-survivor.
• Receiving an apology or acknowledgement – We’ll ask for your name, your school’s name, the dates you were enrolled, and the name of the person who harmed you. We use this information to see if you qualify for our Restorative Engagement Program. It also helps us prepare the senior representative who will meet with you or write to you. You are also welcome to share any other information with us. If you choose to meet with a senior department representative, the meeting details will stay confidential unless sharing them is necessary for child safety. You can also ask the representative to keep the information you shared on the department's records. For more information, see Personal acknowledgement and apologies for victim-survivors.
• Funding for counselling – we use a form to collect your information so we can check your eligibility. This includes the name of the school, the dates you were enrolled and the name of the person who harmed you. For more information, see Counselling support for victim-survivors.

Child safety

We use the information you share to give you the most relevant support. Your details may also help us meet the department’s child safety and reporting duties, especially if the person who harmed you still works with children.

We now have stronger protections to keep students safe in our schools. This means our team shares some of your information with other parts of the department, like the Conduct and Integrity Division.

Victoria has a Reportable Conduct Scheme to oversee investigations of child abuse and misconduct. If the accused is a current or recent employee, the Conduct and Integrity Division may need to report your concerns to the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP). These issues are also reported to Victoria Police. You can choose whether to talk to the police.

If the department has reported a matter to the CCYP under the Reportable Conduct Scheme, the police may not always investigate. If they don’t, the department’s Conduct and Integrity Division might look into your report. This is important because the person could still be a risk to children.

The investigation will include notifying the person involved about the allegations. This allows them to respond, helping the department make findings and take necessary actions to manage child safety risks.

The Conduct and Integrity Division may have more questions for you. It’s your choice whether to take part in the investigation. We can discuss this further before you decide to share your information with us.

Sharing information for legal reasons

We may have to share information about your experiences due to legal reasons. For instance, a court could require us to provide documents in a civil case involving the person who harmed you. Also, the police might request documents to help with an investigation. If you later choose to bring a legal claim, the information you share with us could also be used in that case.

Information privacy and security

The department’s privacy and security measures keep your information safe from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, or disclosure. Only staff with the relevant roles will access the information you provide.

Please refer to the Department of Education privacy policy for more information.