Appendix 1: Who can become a Child Link Authoriser or User?

• Roles within Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH)
• Roles within Aboriginal Children and Aboriginal Care (ACAC) providers
• Roles within community service organisations and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.

Common Child Protection roles (Child Protection Level 3 and above) include:

• Child Protection Practitioner
• Senior Child Protection Practitioner
• Advanced Child Protection Practitioner.

For the performance of the Secretary to DFFH’s functions, and the exercise of the Secretary’s powers, under the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005.

Examples include:

• to support the process of intake, investigation and/or case management for children known to child protection by using Child Link to corroborate information provided by the family and other services and prioritise the order of who to contact and the urgency of cases
• identifying information about a child’s living arrangements to better understand the history of a child and their siblings.

Area based role: Area Executive Directors

Region wide: Executive Director of School Support

Eligible roles have been identified and will be reviewed over time.

For example, roles responsible for child wellbeing and safety, such as:

• LOOKOUT
• Navigator
• Student Support Services
• school nurses
• Koorie workforces.

For the purpose of identifying children who are not participating in services for which they may be eligible and to assist in the provision of education, care, and services to those children.

For example: to support enrolment and participation of a child at risk of or disengaged from learning.

The approved provider of the education and care service. This role can be delegated in writing to roles that have management responsibilities within the organisation and oversight in relation to the selected Child Link Users in the participating service or services.

Examples of appropriate roles include:

• CEO
• service owner or operator
• managing director
• early years manager
• leader of pedagogy or education
• lead coordinator of children’s services.

To provide education and care and related services to children enrolled at the education and care service.

For example:

• to gather information to form a holistic assessment about a child’s wellbeing and safety
• to facilitate the development of transition statements for children moving from funded kindergarten services to schools.

CEO of the council (can be delegated by the CEO through an instrument of delegation).

Examples of appropriate roles include:

• Early Years manager
• MCH coordinator.

To provide care and services to children attending the MCH service.

For example:

• to identify additional supports a child may be eligible for
• to gather more background information about a child prior to MCH appointments to assist with thorough risk assessments and planning strategies.

The person who has overall management and control of the service. Each organisation determines the person.

We strongly recommend that the Authoriser should be in direct supervision of the most senior MCH nurse manager or coordinator. This could be a director or senior manager. This person should directly know the staff delivering the MCH service.

Roles within:

• Aboriginal-led MCH services
• community health organisations delivering MCH services.

Examples include:

• MCH nurses.

To provide care and services to children attending the Maternal and Child Health services.

For example:

• to identify additional supports a child may be eligible for
• to gather more background information about a child prior to MCH appointments to assist with thorough risk assessments and planning strategies.

Professionals with responsibility for child wellbeing and safety, such as:

• deputy principals or other school leaders
• teaching staff
• wellbeing professionals
• principals.

Note: Catholic school principals will be authorised by their Diocese.

Maximum 7 Users per school plus the principal.

Note: if a school has multiple campuses, the limit is 7 Users for the whole school plus the principal.

• To provide education and care and related services to children enrolled at the school.
• To monitor and plan services for children enrolled at school.

For example:

• to gather more information to better support learning and development for a child enrolled at school
• to better enable the school to contact relevant services involved with the child to request information and to perform their duty of care.

Professionals with responsibility for child wellbeing and safety, such as:

• assistant principals or other school leaders
• year-level coordinators
• teaching staff
• wellbeing professionals
• education support staff
• principals.

Note: Government school principals in government schools will be authorised by their region’s HR contact (Principal Employment Coordinator).

Maximum 7 Users per school plus the principal.

Note: if a school has multiple campuses, the limit is 7 Users for the whole school plus the principal.

• To provide education and care and related services to children enrolled at the school
• To monitor and plan services for children enrolled at school.

For example:

• to gather more information to better support learning and development for a child enrolled at school
• to better enable the school to contact relevant services involved with the child to request information and to perform their duty of care.

Professionals with responsibility for child wellbeing and safety, such as:

• deputy principals
• year-level coordinators
• teaching staff
• wellbeing professionals
• principal OR the person in charge of a school.

Note: The principal or person in charge of an independent school will be authorised by an appropriate member of their governing body, such as the school board.

Maximum 7 Users per school plus the principal (or the person in charge who is an Authoriser).

Note: if schools have multiple campuses, the limit is still 7 Users for the whole school plus the principal (or person in charge of the school).

• To provide education and care and related services to children enrolled at the school
• To monitor and plan services for children enrolled at school.

For example:

• to gather more information to better support learning and development for a child enrolled at school
• to better enable the school to contact relevant services involved with the child to request information and to perform their duty of care.