Reporting Child Abuse & Neglect

Mandatory Reporting by professionals (doctors and registered nurses) of resonable suspicions of child abuse and neglect directly to Department of Child Safety

The Public Health Act 2005 makes it mandatory for professionals, defined in the Act as doctors and registered nurses, to immediately notify Department of Child Safety directly of all reasonable suspicions of child abuse and neglect.  It is an offence for professionals not to report reasonable suspicions of child abuse and neglect cases directly do Department of Child Safety.

Immediate notice of reasonable suspicions of child abuse and neglect

Section 191 of the Public Health Act 2005 - Mandatory reporting - immediate notice applies if a professional:

• becomes aware, or reasonably suspects, during the practice of his or her profession, that a child has been, is being, or is likely to be, harmed; and
• as far as the professional is aware, no other professional has notified the Chief Executive (Department of Child Safety) udner this section about the harm or likely harm.

Once a doctor or registered nurse reasonably suspects child abuse or neglect they must immediately give notice of the harm or likely harm to the Chief Executive (Department of Child Safety) orally, by facsimile, email or similar communication.

All Department of Child Safety staff are authorised officers who are able to receive reports on behalf of the Chief Executive.

Offences

Under sections 193 and 194 of the Public Health Act 2005, it is an offence for a doctor or registered nurse to fail to report or respond to a request for further information from the Department of Child Safety.  The maximum penalty is 50 penalty points ($3750).

How to make a report to the Department of Child Safety

Once you have formed a reasonable suspicion of child abuse and neglect, the following steps are to be followed

1. Phone your local Department of Child Safety Service Centre (during business hours) or Child Safety After Hours Service Centre on (07) 3235 9901 to report verbally
2. Fax a written report to the service centre which received the verbal report within 7 days.  The fax number for the Child Safety After Hours Service Centre is (07) 3235 9898, and
3. File the original report on the child's record

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Last Updated: 02 December 2008
Last Reviewed: 02 December 2008