The Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 authorises certain professionals to share information with Child Protection and Family Services (including Child FIRST intake teams) about vulnerable children and families.
Sharing information is important because effective service provision relies upon all relevant information being available. In addition, the most vulnerable families often need assistance from more than one agency, and information needs to be shared for these agencies to work effectively together.
For more information, see Guidelines for the sector and Guidelines for professionals.
The following information sharing guidelines will assist professionals to know when to share information:
- Registered community services - family services and out-of-home care services (word)
- Registered medical practitioners and nurses - medical practitioners, nurses, people in charge of or employed in a relevant health or mental health service (word)
- Registered school teachers and principals - school teachers and principals (word)
- Authorised information holders or professionals employed by service agencies - all other professionals authorised to share information (word)
Professionals authorised to provide support to vulnerable children and their families include children's services managers, disability services managers, medical practitioners, family violence, school teachers, nurses, psychologists, public servants and relevant professions from health services.
The following quick reference guides will assist in understanding when to share information:
- Children services managers and child care workers (word)
- Disability services managers and workers (word)
- Drug and alcohol treatment services managers and workers (word)
- Family violence services managers and workers (word)
- Health services managers and workers (word)
- Local government child and family services - not registered with the department (word)
- Out of home care managers and workers (word)
- Parenting assessment and skills development managers and workers (word)
- Registered community services managers and workers (word)
- Registered psychologists (word)
- Registered medical practitioners (word)
- Registered nurses (word)
- Registered school teachers and principals (word)
- Sexual assault support service managers and workers (word)
- Victorian Government employees (word)