CHILD INFORMATION SHARING & FAMILY VIOLENCE REFORMS

Sharing information to support child wellbeing and safety

From 19 April 2021 (Term 2) all Victorian government and non-government schools and centre-based education and care services (eg. long day care, kindergarten and outside school hours care), will be prescribed as Information Sharing Entities under the Victorian Government’s Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) and the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS).

These Information Sharing Schemes have expanded the ability of schools and services to collaborate and share relevant confidential information with other authorised Information Sharing Entities to promote the wellbeing and safety of children, and to assess and manage family violence risk. Information can only be shared under the Schemes by organisations prescribed as Information Sharing Entities.

The Information Sharing Schemes were introduced in response to Royal Commissions, coronial inquests and independent inquiries over the past decade that identified poor information sharing as a barrier to service collaboration with detrimental outcomes for children and families.

Phase One of implementation of the schemes commenced in September 2018 and included key services, such as Child Protection, Maternal and Child Health Services and Victoria Police. From 19 April 2021, as part of Phase Two, universal services such as education and health will be authorised to share information using the Schemes.

The Information Sharing Schemes complement and expand upon existing information sharing and child protection laws and do not replace already existing authorisation to share information such as the Child Safe Standards, reporting to Child Protection or Victoria Police, the Reportable Conduct Scheme and other privacy and information sharing laws.

Further information regarding these Whole of Government Reforms can be found on the Victorian Government website:

https://www.vic.gov.au/information-sharing-schemes-and-the-maram-framework