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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 2118 asked in the Legislative Council on 7 May 2019 by Hon Alison Xamon

Question Directed to the: Minister for Education and Training
Parliament: 40 Session: 1


Question

I refer to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse 2018 Progress report, Action Area 1 and the Department’s commitment to provide ‘support to children who have been abused, or are affected by abuse or neglect’, and I ask:
(a) how are these students identified;
(b) how many students have been identified in 2019;
(c) what support is being delivered to these students; and
(d) who is providing the support?

Answered on 11 June 2019

Answer

  1. The Department of Education requires all of its teaching and support staff, and line managers of staff who work with children, to complete the online Child Protection and Abuse Prevention professional learning (PL) within six months of employment. Through this, staff are trained to identify signs of abuse and neglect. Further support is provided to staff via the online fact sheet, Possible Indicators of Abuse, which details possible physical and behavioural indicators. Families may also inform the school that a student has been subject to, or affected by, abuse or neglect. 
  2. 308 public school students were the subject of mandatory reports by Department of Education staff between 1 Jan and 30 Apr 2019. This information has been provided by the Department of Communities. 
  3. Schools engage in case management processes to support individual students where appropriate. In addition, schools deliver protective behaviours and respectful relationships education. 
  4. Principals determine who is involved in providing support for case management. This may include student support staff, school psychologists, and interagency services as appropriate. The Department of Communities funds and manages the Child Sexual Abuse Therapeutic Services (CSATs).