Refer: respond to child abuse in the community

Matters involving sexual offences are serious. Report the abuse 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. This includes local Centres Against Sexual Assault (CASAs). 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
• support staff to support victims of sexual offences
• provide victim-centric communication.

Key services for students who have experienced abuse in the community are:

• Headspace: Mental health and wellbeing support for 12-25-year-olds
• Victims of Crime: support and information for people affected by crime.

For full contact details, see a list of helplines and websites with support and information on child abuse.

You can also consider:

• a local specialist support service that the student or their family already work with
• the student or family’s general practitioner (GP)
• their GP can connect the student to psychologists, counsellors and other health specialists

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

For a list of ACCOs, see: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) - List of members

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.

Access to specialist services varies across communities. If local support is limited or not immediately available, schools 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.

Engage school staff with information sharing responsibilities to share and request information with and from other Information Sharing Entities (ISEs) under the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS).

For example, your school can:

• share details of an incident with your local CASA
• request information on the status of a referral.

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

If your school helps to refer a student to a specialist support service, that service may inform you of the outcome of the referral.

If you are not part of the referral, you may still learn of the outcome through an information sharing request. For example, this could happen if the student self-referred.

The service may tell you:

• what services the student has been connected to
• if they were unsuccessful in contacting the student – they may ask for your help
• if the student or their parents or carers declined support.

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 are 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.

At all times, you should:

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

This should be in collaboration with:

• the student
• their parents or carers
• relevant authorities
• specialist support services involved in supporting the student.