This two day workshop is for mandatory reporters. You are a mandatory reporter if in your professional work you:

• Deliver services (health care, welfare, education, children’s services, residential services, or law enforcement), wholly or partly to children;
• Supervise staff who wholly or partly deliver these services to children;
• Persons in religious ministry or persons providing religion-based activities to children (e.g. minister of religion, priest, deacon, pastor, rabbi, Salvation Army officer, church elder, religious brother or sister); and/or
• Registered psychologists providing a professional service as a psychologist (whether or not exclusively to children)

Keeping children and young people safe is an important responsibility for all community sector organisations. This workshop will provide you with the opportunity to update your legislative knowledge and to explore some of the complex issues surrounding the recognition of, and response to abuse, neglect and risk of harm. Relevant case studies are used throughout this workshop to assist you to understand your reporting responsibilities and the notification process.

This workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to:

• Identify work practices that support the protection of children and young people including ethical decision making
• Define their legislative reporting responsibilities
• Define neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence and serious psychological harm
• Discuss the indicators associated with the grounds for reporting
• Understand the potential impact of abuse, neglect, serious psychological harm and domestic violence on children and young people
• Respond appropriately to children and young people when they disclose abuse, neglect or domestic violence
• Describe what is meant by the term 'risk of significant harm'
• Use the Mandatory Reporter Guide
• Understand the notification process and how to make a quality report
• Identify when information can be exchanged with other agencies
• Learn how to work more collaboratively with other agencies to enhance the welfare and wellbeing of children, young people and their families

Who should attend?

Mandatory reporters (including those who manage mandatory reporters)