Refer: respond to child abuse in the family

Ideally, a student or their family will self-refer to The Orange Door. However, your school can refer a student or their family to a service. You could do this by making a phone call to the service with, or on behalf of, the student.

The Orange Door provides:

• support and information for children, young people, and families
• an entry point to family violence support
• an entry point for parenting and wellbeing support.

The Orange Door is a free intake and assessment service for:

• families requiring support for their child or young person’s wellbeing or development
• families needing parenting support with their child/ren
• young, isolated, or unsupported families
• individuals and families experiencing family violence
• adults using family violence
• young people using violence in the home.

The Orange Door functions include:

• initial contact and support
• screening, identification, and triage
• crisis response
• family violence risk and needs assessment
• child and young person wellbeing risk and needs assessment
• safety planning
• service planning and referrals
• secondary consultations
• referrals to meet longer term needs.

Each Orange Door location across Victoria has their own phone number and email. You can call or email your local Orange Door to refer a student and their family.

Students and their families can also visit their local Orange Door in person, Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm for support. No appointment is needed.

Find your local Orange Door location.

Seek advice from The Orange Door

Before the referral, you can seek advice from The Orange Door. You can discuss:

• whether a referral to The Orange Door is appropriate
• what support services are available
• how to support families experiencing family violence
• how to support families struggling with the care, wellbeing, and development of a student.

Note: If The Orange Door determines that it is more appropriate to report than refer, they will tell you to make a report to the relevant authority.

Decisions about the needs of First Nations People should be made by First Nations People.

For support for First Nations People, you can refer to The Orange Door or support the student or family to refer themselves. The Orange Door is committed to cultural safety for First Nations Peoples.

If someone identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, they can choose to be supported by a worker from an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO).

All Orange Door staff work with Aboriginal Practice Leads to make cultural safety a priority.

The Orange Door has a dedicated team that supports First Nations People. This team works closely with local First Nations services and communities to meet the needs of individuals and families. The Orange Door also support Aboriginal self-determination by respecting First Nations People’s choice of services for referrals.

See a list of ACCOs.

Your school should continue to:

• provide support to the student
• monitor the situation
• follow the 4 Critical Actions to respond to new information or risks.

Matters involving sexual offences are serious. Report before seeking advice or referring to a local sexual assault service.

For matters involving sexual offences, schools can refer directly to local sexual assault services, instead of through The Orange Door. This includes local Centres Against Sexual Assault (CASAs) and harmful sexual behaviour services. These services will provide:

• support for students who have experienced sexual harm and abuse
• support for school wellbeing staff to manage sexual abuse incidents involving students
• treatment programs for students using harmful sexual behaviours
• support for parents and carers of students using harmful sexual behaviours
• support staff to assist victims of sexual offences
• provide victim-centric communication.

It may be appropriate to refer a student or their family to a local specialist support service, especially if the student or their family are already working with that service.

If that support service is an Information Sharing Entity (ISE), they can share information with The Orange Door under the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) and the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS), as required.

Access to specialist services varies across communities. If local support is limited or not immediately available, you can contact:

• their senior education improvement leader or area executive director
• regional Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces

For contact details, see support and advisory services for school staff.

School staff with information sharing responsibilities work with other ISEs under the CISS and the FVISS. They should share and request information when needed.

For example, your school can:

• share all completed family violence tools with The Orange Door
• ask for updates on a referral.

The Orange Door is a Risk Assessment Entity (RAE) and ISE under CISS and FVISS.

Under these schemes, you can:

• share information with ISEs to identify, assess, and manage family violence risk
• seek advice, ask for and share information about a child or young person and their family when you are concerned about their wellbeing, safety, stability and development.

The Orange Door may share information with you in relation to a student and their family.

Keep records of what information you shared and any information The Orange Door shares with you.

To share information safely and appropriately, follow the guidance for staff who use CISS and FVISS.

Referring a student and their family to The Orange Door

You don’t need consent to refer a student or their family to The Orange Door – but it helps. Discussing a referral with the student and their parents or carers will help them to engage with services. Ideally, a student and their family will self-refer or make the referral with you. Talking to them may help them to accept support. It also lets them know The Orange Door could be in contact.

Individuals or families do not need referrals to access The Orange Door. They can make direct contact by attending, calling, or emailing their local Orange Door. To find The Orange Door locations, see support near you.

Referring a student or their family without their consent

You may refer a student without the student or their parents’ or carers’ knowledge or consent when:

• informing them increases the risk to the student or their family’s safety or wellbeing
• not linking a student to a support service increases the risk of their safety and wellbeing.

Depending on the circumstances and what the student wants, you can engage with one parent or carer and not the other.

A referral can occur by:

• the student self-referring
• the student and their family self-referring
• your school making a referral together with the student, with or without their family
• your school making a referral without the student and their family, either with or without their knowledge and consent.

Contact The Orange Door to seek advice if you are unsure about whether you can make a referral without the parents’ or carers’ knowledge or consent.

Your school must document the steps taken to refer. You can use the identifying and responding to child abuse template.

See document your actions.

If a student or their parents or carers do not want to engage with a service at this time, you can give them the list of services, helplines and websites.

By giving them this list, the student or their parents or carers can directly connect with further support and information when they’re ready. This is another way to help them feel empowered and make it more likely that they seek help, even if it is not immediate.

Follow up with the student or their parent or carers to ensure they can access the services they need. If the student is unable to access a service, consider alternatives that may be available.