Report a concern or allegation

This page describes the different ways you can report a child safety concern.

Please note: If you have concerns about the immediate safety of any person, please call Triple Zero (000).

Make a notification under the Reportable Conduct Scheme

Organisations subject to the Reportable Conduct Scheme are legally required to notify the Social Services Regulator of allegations of reportable conduct against a child or young person by a worker or volunteer in their organisation.

Organisations must notify the Social Services Regulator within three days of the head of the organisation becoming aware of a reportable allegation and should use their secure webform.

Members of the public can also notify the Social Services Regulator about allegations of reportable conduct by making a public notification. Public notifications can be made through the secure webform, by phone, email or by letter.

There are also guides below that tell you the information you will be asked to provide in the secure webforms.

Webform guide - Mandatory notification of a reportable allegation

• Mandatory notification of a reportable allegation - head of organisation (PDF, 216kb) 
• Mandatory notification of a reportable allegation - head of organisation (Word, 142kb)

Webform guide – Public Notification of a reportable allegation

• Public Notification (PDF, 180kb)
• Public Notification (Word, 156kb)

Webform guide - 30 day update

• 30 day update (PDF, 198kb)
• 30 day update (Word, 162kb)

Webform guide - Investigation outcome update

• Investigation outcome update (PDF, 176kb)
• Investigation outcome update (Word, 206kb)

Webform guide - Investigator update

• Investigator update (PDF, 136kb)
• Investigator update (Word, 126kb)

Webform guide - Other information update

• Other information update (PDF, 128kb)
• Other information update (Word, 117kb)

Report your concerns under the Child Safe Standards

Organisations included in the Child Safe Standards are legally required to have policies, procedures and practices in place to comply with the Child Safe Standards.

If you are concerned that an organisation may not be complying with the Child Safe Standards, you can tell the Social Services Regulator by:

• phone: 1300 31 07 78
• email: contact@ssr.vic.gov.au 

Find more information about raising concerns about child safety and examples of concerns that you can raise with the Social Services Regulator. 

There are five co-regulators with responsibility for regulating the Child Safe Standards. You can contact them directly:

• Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) is the regulator for Child Safe Standards compliance in Schools
• Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority (VECRA) is the regulator for early childhood education and care providers (such as registered childcare centres)
• Social Services Regulator (SSR) is the regulator for providers of disability services, housing services, family violence and sexual assault services, support services for parents and families, and out-of-home care services, as well as organisations previously regulated by the Commission.  
• Department of Health is the regulator for health services, including mental health services, drug and alcohol treatment services (among other services)
• Workforce Inspectorate Victoria (WIV) is the regulator for organisations that employ children and hold a licence under the Child Employment Act 2003 (Vic).

Find out more about who regulates the Child Safe Standards.

Other reporting

To report concerns about the immediate safety of any person, ring Victoria Police on Triple Zero (000).

You can call 131 444 to report some non-urgent crime and events to Victoria Police, more information can be found here: Police Assistance Line and online reporting

To report concerns about a child who may be in need of protection from harm, abuse or neglect, contact Child Protection

There are some laws that require mandatory reporting of some child safety concerns in Victoria. These include:

• mandatory reporting to child protection for certain categories of people
• any adult who forms a reasonable belief that a sexual offence has been committed by an adult against a child under 16 must report that information to Victoria Police
• those in a position of authority who become aware that an adult associated with their organisation (such as a worker or volunteer) poses a risk of sexual abuse to a child who is under the care, authority or supervision of the organisation, must take all reasonable steps to remove or reduce the risk. This could include reporting to authorities.

More information on these can be found in our Information Sheet: Other reporting obligations