Guidelines
Guidance for identifying and responding to child safety concerns
Published 11 October, 2026
Help for Non-English Speakers
If you need help to understand this, please contact School Sport Victoria via email school.sport.victoria@education.vic.gov.au or phone 03 9084 9001.
Purpose
School Sport Victoria (SSV) is committed to providing an environment where children and young people are safe and feel safe.
SSV, as part of the Department of Education, complies with the:
- Department of Education Child Safe and Wellbeing Policy
- Department of Education Child Safety Code of Conduct.
SSV uses PROTECT to guide staff, officials and volunteers about how to identify and respond to child safety concerns. PROTECT includes guidance for government, Catholic and independent schools.
This guidance applies to all SSV sanctioned school sport programs, events, teams and competitions (described here as SSV events). It also applies to SSV's online environment.
Everyone involved in SSV events:
- is responsible for ensuring a culture of child safety and preventing child abuse
- must use this guidance to respond to child safety concerns.
Context for the provision of school sport
SSV delivers an extensive school sport program, through interschool and interstate (Team Vic) opportunities, to primary and secondary students across Victoria.
SSV events are delivered at a range of venues across Victoria, including community sport and recreation venues or public spaces.
SSV events are delivered by staff, officials and volunteers from:
- SSV including
- SSV Coordinators who include employees of government, Catholic and independent schools
- SSV staff who are employees of the Department of Education
- Contractors engaged by SSV, including as officials, umpires, first aid and event conveners
- Team Vic officials, who include both employees of government, Catholic and independent schools and those that are not employees of schools
- State Sporting Organisations
Attendees at SSV events may include students, teachers, parents/family members and interstate teams (for Team Vic).
SSV uses a range of social and communication channels, to communicate information to support the delivery of SSV's events, including the SSV website, social media and e-newsletters. This guidance also applies to the online environment, including SSV’s social and communication channels.
Safety for students
SSV commits to ensuring children, young people, families, communities and staff feel safe to speak up about child safety.
All students attending SSV events should feel safe to speak to:
- the adult or school teacher who accompanied them
- an SSV official
- a Team Vic official
- an SSV Child Safe Officer, when they are appointed at SSV events.
Identifying and responding to child safety concerns
SSV uses PROTECT to guide staff, officials and volunteers about how to identify and respond to child safety concerns.
If staff, officials or volunteers have any concerns about a child’s safety, they must act.
Staff, officials and volunteers must follow the 4 Critical Actions to identify and respond to child abuse:
- Identify
- Report
- Support
- Refer
Throughout the 4 Critical Actions, staff and volunteers must:
- Respond to an emergency - Call 000. Preserve evidence. Keep students safe.
- Adapt to changing circumstances - Be flexible. Repeat/take different actions.
- Document your actions
Further information is available on:
- 4 Critical Actions to identify and respond to child abuse
- types of child abuse and what to look for
- responding to a disclosure
- legal obligations and child safety frameworks (including mandatory reporting and reportable conduct).
The SSV CEO:
- is responsible for monitoring SSV's overall compliance with this guidance
- must be informed of any child safety incident involving a student at an SSV event.
SSV key contact person and communication of incidents
Program | Child Safety contact person: | SSV will escalate internal communication and response to a report as follows: | SSV Post-Incident Actions |
Interschool sport (State and Region Championships) | - School teacher from the students' school (where present) - SSV event official - SSV Child Safe Officer, when appointed | SSV will escalate internal communication of a report, which may include: - SSV event convener - SSV Region Coordinator - SSV Regional School Sport Officer - State Championships officer - SSV Interschool Sport Manager - SSV CEO SSV will convene an incident management team which may include, but is not limited to: - SSV event convener - SSV Region Coordinator - SSV Regional School Sport Officer - State Championships officer - SSV Interschool Sport Manager - SSV CEO - School principal / delegate of the school where the student is enrolled. The incident management team will ensure the 4 Critical Actions are followed and the student is supported by their school. | - Ensure effective records are kept - Conduct post incident review - Review risk management assessments and strategies. |
Interschool sport (Division and District events) | - School teacher from the students' school (where present) - SSV event official - SSV Child Safe Officer, when appointed | SSV will escalate internal communication of a report, which may include: - SSV event convener - SSV District/Division Coordinator - SSV Region Coordinator - SSV Regional School Sport Officer - SSV Interschool Sport Manager - SSV CEO SSV will convene an incident management team which may include, but is not limited to: - SSV District/Division Coordinator - SSV Region Coordinator - SSV Regional School Sport Officer - SSV Interschool Sport Manager - SSV CEO - School principal / delegate of the school where the student is enrolled. The incident management team will ensure the 4 Critical Actions are followed and the student is supported by their school. | - Ensure effective records are kept - Conduct post incident review - Review risk management assessments and strategies. |
Team Vic | - Team Vic Manager. | SSV will escalate internal communication of a report, which may include: - Team Vic Team Manager - SSV Administration Officer - SSV State Teams Manager - SSV CEO SSV will convene an incident management team which may include, but is not limited to: - Team Vic Team Manager - SSV Administration officer - SSV State Teams Manager - SSV CEO - School principal / delegate of the school where the student is enrolled. The incident management team will ensure the 4 Critical Actions are followed and the student is supported by their school. | - Ensure effective records are kept - Conduct post incident review - Review risk management assessments and strategies. |
Keeping Records
SSV will keep records of all child safety concerns, allegations or disclosures using the SSV Reportable Incidents form, including investigation updates. All records must be securely stored in line with the Department of Education Records Management: Policy.
The SSV CEO may direct that the child safety concern, incident, allegation or disclosure be documented on the relevant PROTECT template for government, Catholic or independent schools.
Updates to this guidance
All schools, SSV Coordinators and Team Vic officials will be notified of any changes via the SSV website, Social Media and the SSV eNewsletter.
Further information and Resources
- Department of Education Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
- Department of Education Child Safety Code of Conduct
- PROTECT
- Policy Advisory Library (government schools only)