CHILD ABUSE

Under Section 11(1) & (2) of the Childrens Protection Act 1993 any medical practitioner or registered or enrolled nurse are obliged by law to notify FAYS if they suspect on reasonable grounds that a child has been or is being abused or neglected and the suspicion is formed in the course of the persons work. This is mandatory notification. Abuse may include physical, sexual or emotional and neglect involves failure to provide for the child's needs, by action or omission.

• It is your personal responsibility to report suspected abuse
• You do not have to be able to prove that the abuse has occurred
• You must accompany your notification with a statement that may be verbal of the observations upon which the suspicion is based
• You are immune from civil liability for reporting your suspicions in good faith

CHILD ABUSE REPORT LINE 131 1478 (24 hours)

You will talk to a social worker who will help you assess the level of risk to the child and where they need to go. They may need to be transferred to the W+CH child protection unit if the risk is considered high.