If you are worried a child's safety and wellbeing you can contact the Department or the Western Australia Police.

If you contact the Department, please contact the office closest to child's home.

For certain professions, including teachers, nurses and police officers, if they suspect sexual abuse, they must report it.

When you contact us, your call will be transferred to a Duty Officer.  They will gather information from you so they can asses if we need to take further action.

The Duty Officer may ask:

• the name, age, address and current location of the child or young person
• why you think they have been harmed or are at risk of harm from abuse or neglect
• your opinion about the immediate risk
• the name of the person suspected of causing the harm and their relationship to the child or young person (if known)
• a description of what you have seen or heard regarding the abuse or neglect
• the names of any other people having knowledge of the abuse
• your name and phone number.

While you don't have to prove that a child or young person has been harmed, it is important that you share as much information as you can with the Duty Officer as this will help with the assessment process.

You are also protected. Under the Children and Community Services Act 2004 you cannot be held liable for damages or other legal proceedings so long as you make the report 'in good faith'.

As far as possible, everyting will be kept confidential. It is illegal for Department workers to tell a family where a complaint came from. However if the matter comes before the Children's Court, it is possible that the Department's files could be subpoenaed and information from the file made available to the family of the child or young person.