Victoria’s Child Information Sharing reform promotes a systematic approach to improving how information is shared between professionals who have responsibility for child wellbeing and safety. The reform recognises that early access to information can enhance professional decision-making, increase collaboration across services and sectors, and improve service provision to children and families. Early and more responsive information sharing can empower professionals to identify issues and vulnerabilities, provide earlier supports and prevent the escalation of risk into harm.
A key part of the Child Information Sharing reform is Child Link. Part 7A of the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic) (Child Wellbeing and Safety Act) establishes Child Link as a new digital tool that consolidates and displays key factual information about every child in Victoria to promote the wellbeing and safety of children in Victoria. The launch of Child Link in 2021 is a significant milestone in the implementation of Victoria’s Child Information Sharing reform and is a further enabler to improve outcomes for Victorian children.
Child Link forms part of the Child Information Sharing reform, alongside the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS). CISS, which commenced in 2018, provides legal permissions which allow organisations and services prescribed as information sharing entities to share information with each other, either voluntarily or upon request, to promote the wellbeing and safety of children.
Child Link supports CISS by combining information from existing government source systems into a single entry for every Victorian child. By linking together information from organisations, Child Link assists authorised professionals to:
- make more informed decisions about the wellbeing, safety and support needs of a child in their school or service
- better identify risks and vulnerabilities and provide the necessary support to prevent any escalation of harm
- encourage cross-service collaboration to facilitate more holistic support around a child, and
- facilitate smoother transitions between early childhood and education services by responding to gaps in participation.
Upon the launch of Child Link, I am pleased to make these Guidelines pursuant to section 46S of the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005. The Guidelines are intended to outline Child Link’s policy, operational and technological features, and provide context to Part 7A of the Act, including:
- how child link entries are created and what information is recorded about a child
- who can access Child Link and what information can be shared
- how Child Link Users are authorised to access Child Link
- restrictions and offences
- how information on Child Link is managed.
The Guidelines complement the Child Information Sharing Scheme Ministerial Guidelines, and are accompanied by a suite of resources, tools, and training for Child Link Users.
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