Course 2: Understanding and Identifying Child Abuse and Neglect

The below non-mandatory Community of Practice resources and activities are designed to support individuals and teams reflect on practice, build shared understanding, and strengthen child safe cultures over time.

Course 2 builds on the foundations introduced in Course 1 and deepens understanding of abuse and neglect in the Australian context, including:

• • the different types of abuse
  • how concerns may present in practice
  • the impacts of abuse on children
  • how to respond to concerns about a child’s safety
  • the importance of professional boundaries
  • recognising grooming behaviours
  • responding to harmful sexual behaviours displayed by children
  • supporting staff wellbeing through self-care.

The non-mandatory Community of Practice resources below provide practical guidance to support reflective discussion and the application of learning in everyday practice, whilst the mandatory eLearning course introduces the core concepts and shared language that participants will draw on during discussion and applied learning.

Select a topic below and click on the link to access interactive activities that help teams explore and apply the course content to their service.

Activities can be used in any order and there is no expectation to use all topics and activities. Choose those most relevant to your team and current practice needs and adapt them as required for your Community of Practice.

You may wish to start with one activity and revisit the resources regularly to complete others. Consistent, ongoing engagement supports deeper understanding and strengthens child safe practice across your service.