Providing Ongoing Support
Critical Information
- In addition to reporting suspected abuse, as a school staff member you have a critical role in supporting students impacted by abuse and have a Duty of Care to ensure that the students feels safe and supported at school.
- Support can include direct support and referral to wellbeing professionals and community services and should involve the development of a Student Support Plan.
- Principals are responsible for ensuring students are supported during interviews at school conducted by Victoria Police or DHHS Child Protection and you may be required to respond to subpoenas to attend court.
- Support must be provided to any impacted staff members.
Experiences of child abuse can cause trauma and significantly impact on the mental health and wellbeing of children. In addition to reporting and referral into relevant authorities, as a school staff member you play a central role in addressing this trauma and have a Duty of Care to ensure that the students feels safe and supported at school.
This section outlines actions that schools must take, where deemed appropriate, to support students who are impacted by child abuse, including:
- Working Together and Planning Support
- Engaging Allied Health and Wellbeing Supports
- Referring to Non-School Based Supports
- Providing Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate Support
- Providing Support for Other Impacted Students
- Providing Support for Impacted School Staff Members
- Supporting Students in Interviews Conducted at School
- Responding to Subpoenas or Court Attendance
- Responding to Complaints or Concerns.
In the context of student-to-student offending, school staff have a Duty of Care to support all students who are impacted by the abuse – this will include the students who were subjected to the abuse, the students who perpetrated the abuse, and any students who witnessed or were otherwise impacted by the abuse.
Working Together and Planning Support
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Engaging Allied Health and Wellbeing Support
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Referring to Non-School Based Supports
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Providing holistic support to address the trauma and wellbeing issues associated with child abuse is best achieved through careful planning and working in partnership with wellbeing professionals, parents/carers and educators.
At Beaufort Primary School, the following supports and strategies will be implemented by members of the student’s welfare team, including as appropriate: class teacher, teacher assistant, PLT leader, Student Wellbeing Coordinator, Leading Teacher, Principal, Student Support Services Officer and other external agencies as deemed necessary. If a student is impacted by suspected abuse, and it is deemed appropriate, school staff must:
Responding to Complaints or Concerns
As a first step school staff must consider whether the complaint raises any concerns about unreported abuse and/or risk of abuse. You must follow the Four Critical Actions: Responding to Incidents, Disclosures or Suspicions of Child Abuse if any new information comes to light which leads you to believe that a child may be subject to, or at risk of any unreported abuse. Government school complaint process Principals or delegates of government schools should follow the Department’s standard parent complaints process, including: meeting the complainants to clarify their concerns (a face-to-face meeting with the Principal will often resolve the matter) documenting the concerns, clarify the issues, explain and gain agreement to further action linking the complainants to the responsible Regional Office (e.g. the Regional Director) if the issues are not quickly resolved, advising complainants of internal and external supports including the role of parent groups to provide independent advice and support advising complainants of their rights to:
Staff should also refer to the Beaufort Primary School Complaints Policy. |
Where appropriate school staff should engage allied health and wellbeing supports and services to meet the wellbeing needs of the child impacted by abuse, including:
Allied health and wellbeing professionals can provide:
Providing Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate Support
Whilst a child’s background should not impact on a decision to report suspected abuse, school staff need to be sensitive to a child’s individual circumstances when providing support and working with families impacted by abuse.
It is a requirement under the Child Safety Standards that school governing authorities must "take account of the diversity of all children", including (but not limited to) the needs of: Children with disabilities When supporting a child with a disability who has been impacted by child abuse it is critical to consider the child's:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children When supporting an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child who has been impacted by child abuse it is essential that school staff provide culturally appropriate support.
Children from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds When supporting a child from CALD backgrounds who has been impacted by child abuse it is essential that schools provide culturally appropriate support. However this should not detract from ensuring the child’s safety and wellbeing. Where possible schools should work with relevant cultural support services (ensuring that the confidentiality of the student and family is maintained) and engage an interpreter when communicating with the student’s family if needed. Students with refugee backgrounds When working with children from refugee backgrounds who have been impacted by child abuse it is important to recognise that they (and their families) may also be experiencing trauma, dislocation and loss. This trauma may significantly affect family wellbeing and parenting capacity and whilst these issues also require sensitive consideration, they should not detract from ensuring the child’s safety and wellbeing (or impact on decisions to report suspected abuse). School staff should consider contacting services that specialise in providing support to refugees (ensuring that the confidentiality of the child and their family is maintained). Schools should also engage an interpreter when communicating with the student’s family if needed. International students Principals must ensure appropriate measures are taken for the welfare of international students. This may require additional support given that the child’s family may not be present to provide support within the home environment. For details on who must be contacted in the event that an international student is involved in suspected abuse, see: Reporting if the incident, suspicion or disclosure relates to an international student |
School staff can also refer to the wide range of non-school based support services, which specialise in providing tailored support and advice for children impacted by abuse.
For example the Centres Against Sexual Assault (CASA) provide expert support for victims of sexual assault and HeadSpace can provide tailored support for children whose mental health is impacted by exposure to abuse. All schools can contact their local government for advice on available local services. Staff at Beaufort Primary can contact the Regional Office for advice on local and specialised services. Providing Support for Other Impacted Children
It can be stressful for other children involved in any incidents, disclosures or suspicions of child abuse. Principals must ensure that other impacted children are offered and provided appropriate support.
Providing Support for Impacted School Staff Members
It can also be stressful for staff involved in any incidents, disclosures or suspicions of child abuse. Principals must support impacted staff members to access necessary support.
School staff requiring wellbeing support can contact:
Responding to Subpoenas or Court Attendance
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Supporting Students in Interviews Conducted at School
All children (including children who are alleged to have perpetrated abuse) must be independently supported in any interviews conducted by Victoria Police or DHHS Child Protection at school.
Where possible and appropriate the child’s parent/carer should be present for these interviews. However if this is not appropriate or practicable the Principal (or delegate) may be identified as the independent person or support person for the child for the purpose of the interview.
At Beaufort Primary School, the staff members who are nominated to support students being interviewed at school are:
In the event that Victoria Police schedule an interview with a child at the school, the Principal (or delegate) must advise the child’s parent/carer (where advised to be appropriate) as well as notifying the:
Police interviews at school where the child is the alleged victim or witness
The information below includes critical detail on when and how police interviews are conducted at school and what role the Principal (or delegate) should play if they are nominated as the support person.
DHHS Child Protection interviews at school
DHHS Child Protection may conduct interviews of children at Victorian schools without parental knowledge or consent of the parent/carer (although this will only occur in exceptional circumstances and if it is in the child’s best interests to proceed in this manner).
The information below includes critical detail on when and how DHHS Child Protection interviews are conducted at school and what role the Principal (or delegate) should play if they are nominated as the support person.
Where possible and appropriate the child’s parent/carer should be present for these interviews. However if this is not appropriate or practicable the Principal (or delegate) may be identified as the independent person or support person for the child for the purpose of the interview.
At Beaufort Primary School, the staff members who are nominated to support students being interviewed at school are:
- Principal – Tameeka Rush
- Lead Teacher - Fiona Ross
- Student Wellbeing Coordinator – Lyn Bunworth
- Classroom Teacher – if specifically requested by the student
In the event that Victoria Police schedule an interview with a child at the school, the Principal (or delegate) must advise the child’s parent/carer (where advised to be appropriate) as well as notifying the:
- Student Incident and Recovery unit on (03) 9637 2934
- Koorie Engagement Support Officer if the child is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- International Division if the child is an international student on (03) 9637 3990.
Police interviews at school where the child is the alleged victim or witness
The information below includes critical detail on when and how police interviews are conducted at school and what role the Principal (or delegate) should play if they are nominated as the support person.
- Police should only interview children at school as a matter of urgency or necessity.
- A request must be made to the Principal (or delegate) who must be advised of the reason for the interview.
- The child’s parent/carer should be present where it is practical and appropriate to make these arrangements. If the parent/carer is not able to be present, an independent person must be present during the interview (the role of the independent person is to ensure the child understands what is happening and to provide support).
- Principals (or delegate) may if necessary, act as an independent person where the child is a victim, unless they believe it will place them in a conflict of interest to do so.
- As an independent person, school staff must refrain from providing their opinions or accounts for events during interviews.
- The nominated “independent persons” at Beaufort Primary School are:
- Principal – Tameeka Rush
- Lead Teacher - Fiona Ross
- Student Wellbeing Coordinator – Lyn Bunworth
- If the police need to speak with a student who has allegedly abused another child this should preferably be done in the presence of the parent/carer, or another independent person that is not a school staff member.
- In this instance, the Beaufort Primary School Principal (or nominee) will contact the SEIL to seek advice and to determine who would be a suitable independent person in this instance.
DHHS Child Protection interviews at school
DHHS Child Protection may conduct interviews of children at Victorian schools without parental knowledge or consent of the parent/carer (although this will only occur in exceptional circumstances and if it is in the child’s best interests to proceed in this manner).
The information below includes critical detail on when and how DHHS Child Protection interviews are conducted at school and what role the Principal (or delegate) should play if they are nominated as the support person.
- DHHS Child Protection will notify the school staff of any intention to interview a child at the school. This may occur regardless of whether the school staff member is the source of the report to DHHS Child Protection.
- When DHHS Child Protection practitioners arrive at the school, the school Principal (or delegate) should ask to see their identification before allowing DHHS Child Protection to have access to the child. See Visitors in School Policy.
- Children should be advised of their right to have a supportive adult present during interviews. If the child is too young to understand the significance, a supportive adult should be provided even though they may not have consented or requested this to occur.
- A staff member may be identified as a support person for the child during the interview. Prior to the commencement of the interview, the DHHS Child Protection practitioner should always authorise the staff member of the school to receive information regarding DHHS Child Protection’s investigation. This could be conducted verbally or in writing using the relevant DHHS Child Protection proforma.
- As an independent person, school staff must refrain from providing their opinions or accounts for events during interviews.
- At Beaufort Primary School, the staff members who are nominated to support students being interviewed at school are:
- Principal – Tameeka Rush
- Lead Teacher - Fiona Ross
- Student Wellbeing Coordinator – Lyn Bunworth
- Classroom Teacher – if specifically requested by the student