Child safety

If you have concerns for the immediate safety of a child, please call Triple Zero (000).

On this page, you can learn how to:

• understand our commitment to child safety and wellbeing
• report allegations of child abuse involving our employees, contractors, consultants and volunteers (we refer to these people as ‘workers’).

What you can expect from us

Keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility. Our department has zero tolerance for all forms of child abuse, including racism, inequality and family violence. Any child who interacts with the department has the right to be safe, feel safe and express their identity.

We are committed to creating and maintaining a child safe organisation that proactively protects, supports and empowers children. This includes:

• embedding child safety into everyday thinking, practice and culture
• implementing robust mechanisms for preventing and responding to child abuse
• listening to and supporting children from all backgrounds
• prioritising and celebrating diversity
• encouraging employees to speak up if they see something wrong
• holding employees to account for their behaviour.

Reportable Conduct Scheme

What is the Reportable Conduct Scheme?

The Reportable Conduct Scheme helps make organisations safer for children.

Under the Reportable Conduct Scheme, our department must have systems in place to:

• prevent child abuse
• investigate and respond to allegations of child abuse involving our workers
• report all allegations of child abuse involving our workers to the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP).

What can you report?

Reportable conduct includes:

• sexual offences committed against, with or in the presence of a child
• sexual misconduct committed against, with or in the presence of a child
• physical violence committed against, with or in the presence of a child
• any behaviour that causes significant emotional or psychological harm to a child
• the significant neglect of a child.

‘Child’ refers to anyone aged under 18 years.

For more information, visit the CCYP website.

Who can you report?

You can make an allegation against any worker if:

• they are aged over 18 years; and
• you reasonably believe they have committed reportable conduct.

The worker does not need to:

• have direct contact with children as part of their work duties
• have engaged in the alleged reportable conduct during their work duties.

How do you make a report?

You can make an allegation against a worker by contacting:

• the department’s Child Safe Officer via email (childsafe@ecodev.vic.gov.au); or
• CCYP via its secure form on the Report a concern or allegation page.

The department’s Child Safe Officer is the Deputy Secretary, Corporate Services.

Our department treats all allegations seriously. We will maintain privacy and confidentiality (to the extent possible under the law) and ensure procedural fairness.

Other child safety concerns and complaints

If you have concerns for the immediate safety of a child, please contact Victoria Police by calling Triple Zero (000).

If you have concerns for the general safety of a child, please contact:

• your local Child Protection contact by calling the relevant number on weekdays between 8.45 am and 5.00 pm
• the After-Hours Child Protection Emergency Service by calling 13 12 78 on weekdays between 5.00 pm and 9.00 am, or weekends and public holidays at any time.

You can also contact the Child Safe Officer via email (childsafe@ecodev.vic.gov.au) if you have any other child safety concerns or complaints about:

• the department’s services, dealings or conduct
• our funded programs.