Learning and support for health professionals
Children at Risk Training Portal
Register or log into access free online training and resources to support your understanding and responsibilities to children and young people experiencing vulnerability. The modules aim to help learners build skills to: identify vulnerable children, engage with parents about child vulnerability, respond to suspected abuse or neglect and understand legislated responsibilities, the child protection and family services system.
There are three interactive training modules for health professionals working across Victoria’s health service system. Each module takes approximately one hour to complete:
- Protecting Children: Introductory course on identifying and responding to child abuse and neglect
- Responding to vulnerability: A guide for general practitioners
- Responding to vulnerability: A guide for health and community services providers.
Access free training and resources on protecting vulnerable children:
Identifying children at risk
Possible indicators of vulnerability, child abuse and neglect
Health professionals need to be able to recognise when children may have been harmed, or at risk of harm. There are many indicators of vulnerability, including physical, emotional or behavioural signals that can point to possible child abuse and neglect.
Resources available that outline possible indicators of trauma and abuse include:
- Recognising when a child is at risk (Better Health
- Child development and trauma – best interests case practice (DFFH) outlines Developmental trends and possible indicators of trauma, impact of trauma for 0 - 18 years of age.
- VFPMS Guidelines for Forensic Investigation of Child
The presence of indicators does not automatically mean the child is at risk of harm. Health professionals should consider these indicators in the context of the family history, and the ability and willingness of the parent or carer to protect the child from harm.
Having conversations with parents and carers about concerns for the safety, health and wellbeing of their children is important to ensure that the best interests of children are promoted.
Ask, Listen, Record and Share
Sharing knowledge, communicating effectively, making decisions together and respecting each other means that we are better able to protect children. If you are concerned that a child may be at risk of abuse always consult and seek advice about your concerns.
| Ask | To ensure that you have not missed any part of the patients experience that may impact on their health care. |
| Listen | Remain sensitive to the patient’s experience and provide reassurance |
| Record | Ensure no information is lost and if other professionals are involved, information can be shared. |
| Share | Sharing our expertise, seeking advice, providing information and making decisions together is the best way to protect vulnerable children. |
Working with Child Protection factsheets
The following factsheets are available on The Royal Children’s Hospital :
- Reporting to Child - responding to child health and wellbeing concerns, including guidance around making reports/referrals
- Working across services
- Consent for medical - medical consent requirements for children in care
- Information across the health services and Child Protection services
Useful resources and training
- Emerging - free evidence-based training, practice guides, webinars, tools, information and networks in areas of infant, child and family mental health
- The Australian Institute for Family – free webinars, practice guides and papers that promote evidence-based practice in the family services sector.
- The White - Abuse and violence: working with our patients in general practice (5th edition) is a practical resource developed by the RACGP
- The Department of Fairness, Families and Housing’s Framework for trauma informed
- - National voice for Aboriginal and TORRES Strait Islander children, supporting them to grow up healthy, happy and safe, connected to culture and community
- MARAM and information Sharing- multi-agency risk assessment and management framework and information training specific to health workforces
- Child Information Sharing
Reviewed 15 July 2024