Child safety

Infants are at times admitted to health facilities and investigated by a child safety team when there are concerns that the child’s presentation or reported mechanism of injury does not fit the developmental stage of that child (e.g. broken leg in a child not able to walk; foot/bottom burns on a child not able to climb/walk). At times a child will be admitted to a hospital for ongoing medical investigations due to them sustaining a non-accidental injury (NAI).

Ensure that you are familiar with any child safety concerns, any custody/court agreements in place and with whom you are able to share information. The social worker or child safety team allocated to the infant will be able to provide you with this information.

It is recommended that you complete the Safety: Infants and young children module that forms a part of the General Allied-Health Principles of Paediatrics (GAPP) eLearning course. This can be accessed through the Clinical Skills Development Service's website.