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Refer: respond to child abuse in the community

Guidance on how to refer students to community services. Refer is one of the 4 Critical Actions.

Schools

As soon as you believe a student has been, or is at risk of being abused by someone in the community, you must act.

4 CRITICAL ACTIONS

⬣ Identify ▲ Report ● Support ■ Refer

On this page

Refer students to community services

Your school can refer students to a range of specialist support services that are available in the community. This complements your actions to support the student at school.

Specialist support services assist with:

Specialist support services are available to assist:

Students can also access further support and information directly. You can provide them with a list of helplines and websites.

Identify a suitable service

Before you engage with students and their parents or carers, highlight which services are likely to be the most suitable. This will depend on:

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Matters involving sexual offences are serious. Report the abuse before seeking advice or referring to a local sexual assault service.

For matters involving sexual offences schools can refer directly to local sexual assault services. This includes local Centres Against Sexual Assault (CASAs). These services will provide:

Key services for students who have experienced abuse in the community are:

You can also consider:

Help students connect to a service

Talk to students and their parents or carers about the services that are available. This can help them choose the service that best meets their needs.

Ideally, a student will self-refer to a service, with the help and support of their parents or carers. However, your school can help to connect a student to a service. You could do this by making a phone call to the service with, or on behalf of, the student.

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Decisions about the needs of First Nations Peoples should be made by First Nations Peoples.

If someone identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, they can choose to be supported by a worker from an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO).

For a list of ACCOs, see: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) - List of members

Your school should continue to:

Access to specialist services varies across communities. If local support is limited or not immediately available, schools can contact:

Engage school staff with information sharing responsibilities to share and request information with and from other Information Sharing Entities (ISEs) under the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS).

For example, your school can:

If your school helps to refer a student to a specialist support service, that service may inform you of the outcome of the referral.

If you are not part of the referral, you may still learn of the outcome through an information sharing request. For example, this could happen if the student self-referred.

The service may tell you:

By giving them this list, the student or their parents or carers can directly connect with further support and information when they are ready. This is another way to help them feel empowered and make it more likely that they seek help, even if it is not immediate.

Follow up with the student or their parent or carers to ensure they can access the services they need. If the student is unable to access a service, consider alternatives that may be available.

At all times, you should:

Next steps

Continue the 4 Critical Actions

While you refer the student, continue to support them. You may need take these actions at the same time.

You may also need to report to authorities.

⬣ Identify ▲ Report ● Support ■ Refer

Teachers and school staff

Updated 10 April 2026

At all times

Throughout the 4 Critical Actions, you must:

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