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Refer: respond to child abuse in the family

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 family, you must act.

4 CRITICAL ACTIONS

⬣ Identify ● Support ■ Refer ▲ Report

Also see

On this page

Refer students to community services

Your school can refer students or their family to a range of specialist support services that are available in the community.

Refer complements support. Both actions can happen at the same time if that is the best way to help the student.

Specialist support services assist with:

Specialist support services are available to assist:

The student and their parents or carers can also access further support and information directly. You can provide them with a list of helplines and websites.

Identify a suitable service

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Ideally, a student or their family will self-refer to The Orange Door. However, your school can refer a student or their family to a service. You could do this by making a phone call to the service with, or on behalf of, the student.

The Orange Door provides:

Students and their families can also visit their local Orange Door in person, Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm for support. No appointment is needed.

Find your local Orange Door location.

Seek advice from The Orange Door

Before the referral, you can seek advice from The Orange Door. You can discuss:

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

For support for First Nations People, you can refer to The Orange Door or support the student or family to refer themselves. The Orange Door is committed to cultural safety for 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).

All Orange Door staff work with Aboriginal Practice Leads to make cultural safety a priority.

The Orange Door has a dedicated team that supports First Nations People. This team works closely with local First Nations services and communities to meet the needs of individuals and families. The Orange Door also support Aboriginal self-determination by respecting First Nations People’s choice of services for referrals.

See list of ACCOs.

Your school should continue to:

Matters involving sexual offences are serious. Report 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, instead of through The Orange Door. This includes local Centres Against Sexual Assault (CASAs) and harmful sexual behaviour services. These services will provide:

It may be appropriate to refer a student or their family to a local specialist support service, especially if the student or their family are already working with that service.

If that support service is an Information Sharing Entity (ISE), they can share information with The Orange Door under the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) and the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS), as required.

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

Record your actions

Your school must document the steps taken to refer. You can use the identify and respond template.

See document your actions.

Other actions you can take

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School staff with information sharing responsibilities work with other ISEs under the CISS and the FVISS. They should share and request information when needed.

For example, your school can:

Under these schemes, you can:

Keep records of what information you shared and any information The Orange Door shares with you.

To share information safely and appropriately, follow the guidance for staff who use CISS and FVISS.

Referring a student and their family to The Orange Door

You don’t need consent to refer a student or their family to The Orange Door – but it helps. Discussing a referral with the student and their parents or carers will help them to engage with services. Ideally, a student and their family will self-refer or make the referral with you. Talking to them may help them to accept support. It also lets them know The Orange Door could be in contact.

Individuals or families do not need referrals to access The Orange Door. They can make direct contact by attending, calling, or emailing their local Orange Door. To find The Orange Door locations, see support near you.

You may refer a student without the student or their parents’ or carers’ knowledge or consent when:

A referral can occur by:

Respond as appropriate after the referral

If your school is involved in making the referral, The Orange Door may inform you of the outcome of the referral. The school can also request information from The Orange Door on the status of the referral.

If you’re not part of the referral, you may still be able to learn of the outcome through an information sharing request. For example, this could happen if the family self-refers.

The Orange Door may tell you:

If a student or their parents or carers do not want to engage with a service at this time, you can give them the list of services, helplines and websites.

By giving them this list, the student or their parents or carers can directly connect with further support and information when they’re 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.

Continue your responsibilities

At all times, you should continue to:

This should be in collaboration with:

Next steps

Continue the 4 Critical Actions

While you refer the student, continue to support them.

You may also need to report abuse to authorities.

⬣ Identify ● Support ■ Refer ▲ Report

Education & training

Updated 7 April 2026

At all times

Throughout the 4 Critical Actions, you must:

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