Where there is an immediate concern for the safety of a child or young person, call 000 (Triple Zero). If you suspect a child or young person has been, or is at risk of being abused or neglected, contact the Strong Families, Safe Kids Advice and Referral Line on 1800 000 123. For non-emergencies or to report a crime, contact Tasmania Police on 131 444.
For children and young people
You can tell us by filling out the form below if you are worried about:
- your safety
- the safety of another young person; or
- anything else related to the Department of Justice.
Child and Youth-Friendly Complaint Form (PDF, 149.2 KB).
We will take you seriously. If you need help filling out this form you can give us a call on (03) 6165 3405.
Reporting Child Safety Concerns
This page provides directions on how to contact the Department of Justice to report concerns of child abuse by employees, volunteers and staff operating under a Service Level Agreement (or similar contractual arrangement) with the Department of Justice.
How to make a report
You can report a child safety concern using the Department of Justice webform.
Alternatively, you can email secretary@justice.tas.gov.au or call (03) 6165 3405.
Who can make a report
Anyone can report a child safety concern, including Department of Justice staff and members of the public who may have experienced or observed concerning or inappropriate behaviour.
Who receives the report
Only Agency Executive members (Secretary and Deputy Secretaries) and the Director of Human Resources have access to report submissions to investigate concerns and to provide updates to the Office of Independent Regulator.
If this is a concern for you, you can report a concern to the Office of the Independent Regulator.
Types of behaviour you might report include, but are not limited to
- sexual misconduct or a sexual offence relating to a child
- grooming of a child
- physical violence involving a child
- behaviour that causes significant emotional or psychological harm to a child
- significant neglect of a child.
More information about behaviour that is ‘reportable conduct’ is available on the Office of the Independent Regulator website and in the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023 (Tas).
More information
If you want to learn more about the Child and Youth Safe Standards and the Reportable Conduct Scheme, you can read an overview of the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework on the Office of the Independent Regulator's website.
Remember
If you believe that a child is in immediate harm, contact police on 000 (Triple Zero) or the Strong Families, Safe Kids Advice and Referral Line on 1800 000 123.
Anyone can report directly to the Office of the Independent Regulator. To report, visit their website, or contact them by phone 1800 754 728 or email contact@oir.tas.gov.au.
The below may also be relevant to a concern about child safety:
- The Registrar of the Registration to Work With Vulnerable People Act 2013 oversees conduct related to staff and volunteers who hold a Registration to Work With Vulnerable People.
- The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency oversees the safety and suitability of registered health practitioners.
- The Teachers Registration Board has the authority to investigate complaints regarding the professional conduct or competence of someone who is (or was) a registered teacher or the holder of a Limited Authority to Teach (LAT) and/or the Office of the Education Registrar.
The above list is not exhaustive and there are other reporting bodies that might be relevant. For support on next steps, contact the Strong Families, Safe Kids Advice and Referral Line on 1800 000 123.
Policies and procedures
The Department of Justice's Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy outlines the Department's approach to keeping children and young people safe and well. The Policy applies to everyone engaged in the provision of services within the Department, including employees, officers, volunteers, and contractors.
The Child Safety and Wellbeing Procedures explain how child safety concerns are reported and managed in the Department of Justice.
The Professional Conduct Policy outlines what is considered unacceptable behaviour by employees of the Department with regards to children and young people, in connection with their employment.
Support services
A list of local and National support services is available on this webpage.
Personal information collection
We collect and use that information in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act 2004 and the Department of Justice’s Personal Information Protection Policy.
Your information may be shared with other relevant persons such as the Independent Regulator and Tasmania Police, in accordance with the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023.
We take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we hold is accurate, complete and up to date. Where practicable, we will check on the accuracy of personal information before we use it.
Upon request, you can access your personal information held by the Department of Justice. To request an amendment to your information, you can write to:
Office of the Secretary
Department of Justice
GPO Box 825
Hobart TAS 7001
Or email: secretary@justice.tas.gov.au