what happens when I make a report?
Your report to Community Services will remain confidential. This means that your name and contact details will not be disclosed to anyone without your consent. No agency may disclose to a parent, alleged perpetrator, employer or other person the identity of a person who makes a report to Community Services.
When Community Services receives your report, we are required by law to make an assessment and determination whether the child is actually at risk of harm. The information you provide in a report will inform what further action is needed. Other considerations include the child or family history held by Community Services.
We assess all reports to determine the most appropriate action to ensure the safety, welfare and wellbeing of the child. This might involve talking to the child, their family or other important people in the child’s life (such as relatives, teachers or child carers), or talking to people who work with the child or their family (such as counsellors, health professionals or family support workers).
Not all reports will lead to further assessment or investigation. This may be because there is insufficient information or reason to believe that the child or young person is at risk of harm.
As a reporter, you will be informed about the type of action that will be taken, based on your report.
feedback on your report
Community Services recognises that mandated reporters often have an ongoing service role with the children, young people or families that they have reported to the Helpline.
Under Sections 248 and 254 of the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998, feedback can be provided to mandated reporters where it is for the purpose of furthering the safety, welfare and wellbeing of a child or young person.
When a report is made, the Child Protection Helpline will inform you about the initial action to be taken.
Mandatory reporters, except NSW Police, will be advised in writing either that the report has been closed at the Helpline or transferred to a Community Services Centre or a Joint Investigation Response Team (JIRT).
NSW Police are provided with an automatic receipt of their report, providing a reference number.
A caseworker may wish to contact you again, to help in the assessment of the safety, welfare and wellbeing of the child or young person. At this time the caseworker may also provide you with information about their intended course of action. The level of detail and information provided to reporters will depend on the circumstances of the case.
At a minimum, the local Community Services Centre will provide feedback to mandated reporters who request it and who have an ongoing role with the child, young person or family and the feedback will enable that work to continue.
Contact might be via letter or email. Alternatively, phone contact or a case meeting between a mandated reporter and the Community Services Centre might be indicated.
Mandatory reporters are encouraged to initiate contact with the Community Services Centre or the Helpline and request feedback.
Additional information about Community Services feedback to mandatory reporters can be found in the NSW Interagency Guidelines for Child Protection Intervention 2006, chapter 2.12 “Feedback to Reporters”.
