Mandatory Reporter Guide

The Mandatory Reporter Guide (MRG) assists NSW Health staff in deciding whether concerns for the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people meet the risk of significant harm threshold.

The MRG supports professional judgment and facilitates consistent decision making. It takes mandatory reporters through a series of questions to determine if their concerns are significant and reportable to Community Services, or if not, what other action to take. Other actions may include contacting a Health Child Wellbeing Unit (CWU) for a concern about a child or young person which does not constitute risk of significant harm.

The guide is available online at http://sdm.community.nsw.gov.au/mrg/ If you do not have access to the intranet or internet, a hard copy should be available at your workplace. Otherwise consult your supervisor or contact your Health CWU.

A Decision Report can be generated with an explanation of the outcome based on your completion of the decision tree. This should be printed and/or saved for your records as the MRG is not electronically recorded.

The MRG does not automatically transfer information to the Child Protection Helpline or the Health Child Wellbeing Unit.  You will need to call the Helpline on 133 627 or the CWU on 1300 480 420, or complete the After hours Child Wellbeing Unit Notification Form for after hours reporting

Further information is available in the Information Bulletin Making a Child Protection Report IB2010_005