Mandatory Reporting
Praxi supports practitioners in meeting their mandatory reporting obligations under Australian law. This includes reporting child abuse and neglect, elder abuse, domestic violence, suicide risk, self-harm, and professional misconduct.
Child protection — national frame
There is no single federal Act that makes all practitioners mandatory reporters of child abuse nationwide. Duties come from state and territory statutes. Who must report, what thresholds apply, and how to file differ by jurisdiction (for example: QLD s 13E does not list registered psychologists as mandatory reporters; WA psychologists are mandatory for child sexual abuse from 1 May 2024; NT uses a universal reporter model).
Praxi surfaces the seeded per-state playbook (statute, threshold, body, phone, form hub) for the resolved jurisdiction. Filing remains the practitioner’s duty — Praxi does not auto-notify child-protection authorities.
SSOT: mandatory-reporting-federal-frame.ts +
state-mandatory-reporting-playbooks.ts. Seed:
mandatory-reporting-playbooks.seed.ts (currency 2026-07-28).
Not the same as Ahpra mandatory notifications about practitioner conduct (National Law) — see AHPRA notifications guidance separately.
Reporting Obligations
Australian healthcare practitioners have mandatory reporting obligations in several areas:
| Obligation | Trigger | Relevant Law |
|---|---|---|
| Child abuse/neglect | Reasonable belief that a child is at risk | State/territory child protection legislation |
| Elder abuse | Suspected abuse of an older person (varies by state) | State/territory legislation |
| Domestic violence | Disclosure or evidence of family violence | State/territory legislation |
| Risk to self | Immediate risk of self-harm or suicide | Mental Health Acts, duty of care |
| Risk to others | Serious threat to the safety of another person | Duty of care, common law |
| Notifiable conduct | Health practitioner engaged in notifiable conduct | Health Practitioner Regulation National Law |
Mandatory reporting requirements vary by state and territory. Praxi displays the relevant requirements based on jurisdiction resolution (including patient state for telehealth where configured). Always consult your state or territory guidelines and seek legal advice if uncertain. :::
State-Specific Requirements
| State/Territory | Child Protection Authority | Key Legislation |
|---|---|---|
| VIC | Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) | Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 |
| NSW | Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) | Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 |
| QLD | Department of Child Safety | Child Protection Act 1999 |
| WA | Department of Communities | Children and Community Services Act 2004 |
| SA | Department for Child Protection | Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 |
| TAS | Department of Communities | Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1997 |
| ACT | Child and Youth Protection Services | Children and Young People Act 2008 |
| NT | Territory Families | Care and Protection of Children Act 2007 |
Creating a Mandatory Report
When a mandatory reporting concern arises:
- Navigate to the client's record or use Safety > Mandatory Reports
- Click New Report
- Select the report type:
- Child protection -- physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, or child at risk
- Suicide/self-harm risk -- immediate suicide risk, ongoing suicide risk, or self-harm risk
- Duty to warn -- specific threat to an identifiable person, or general threat to safety
- Mental Health Act -- involuntary assessment or treatment referral
- Family violence -- adult victim or child victim
- Elder abuse -- physical, financial, psychological, or neglect
- AHPRA professional notifications -- impairment, intoxication, significant departure from standards, or sexual misconduct
- Domestic violence
- Complete the required fields:
- Client -- the client the report relates to
- Practitioner -- the practitioner raising the report
- Appointment -- optionally link to a specific appointment (if applicable)
- Incident date -- when the incident occurred or was disclosed
- Incident description -- factual account of what was observed or disclosed (minimum 10 characters, encrypted at rest)
- Jurisdiction -- the state or territory (VIC, NSW, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, ACT, or Federal)
- Risk level -- Immediate, High, Medium, or Low
- Immediate danger -- whether the person is in immediate danger
- Report method -- how the report was or will be made (phone, online, email, in-person, written letter, or police station)
- Action taken -- what you have done so far (optional)
- If you have already reported externally, record the reporting details:
- Reported to (authority name)
- Date reported
- Reference number
- Click Save
Document factually and objectively. Record what was said or observed, not your interpretation. Include direct quotes where possible. All descriptive fields are encrypted at rest for PHI protection. :::
Report Status Workflow
Each mandatory report progresses through a tracked workflow:
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Pending | Report created but not yet submitted to an authority |
| Reported | Report submitted to the relevant authority |
| Acknowledged | Authority has acknowledged receipt of the report |
| Under Investigation | Authority is actively investigating |
| Follow-up Required | Further action or information is needed from the practitioner |
| Closed (No Action) | Matter closed, no further action taken by the authority |
| Closed (Action Taken) | Matter closed, authority took action |
| Withdrawn | Report withdrawn (only available for pending reports) |
Automatic Task Creation
For reports marked as Immediate or High risk, Praxi automatically creates a compliance task assigned to the reporting practitioner:
- Immediate risk reports generate a task due within 24 hours
- High risk reports generate a task due within 3 days
These tasks appear in your task list and serve as a reminder to submit the report to the relevant authority if you have not already done so.
Updating a Report
As the matter progresses:
- Open the report from Safety > Mandatory Reports or the client record
- Update the status (e.g., from Pending to Reported)
- Add the authority you reported to and the reference number
- Record any outcome received from the authority
- Save changes
Only pending reports can be withdrawn. Once a report has been submitted to an external authority, it cannot be withdrawn through Praxi. :::
Mandatory Reports Dashboard
Practice owners and supervisors can view a summary of all mandatory reports across the practice:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Pending count | Reports awaiting submission to an authority |
| Immediate danger | Active reports where the person is in immediate danger |
| Follow-up required | Reports requiring further action from the practitioner |
| Recent reports | Reports created in the last 30 days |
Report Analytics
Generate insights into mandatory reporting patterns:
- Go to Safety > Mandatory Reports > Analytics
- View breakdowns by:
- Report type (child safety, elder abuse, etc.)
- Jurisdiction
- Risk level
- Monthly trend over the last 12 months
- Review on-time reporting rates and average days to report
Analytics are scoped to your role. Practitioners see only their own reports and assigned client reports. Practice owners and supervisors see all reports across the organisation. :::
Key Principles
- Report promptly -- Do not delay. Report as soon as you form a reasonable belief
- You do not need proof -- A reasonable belief or suspicion is sufficient
- Confidentiality exceptions -- Mandatory reporting overrides client confidentiality
- Protection from liability -- Reporters acting in good faith are protected by law
- Document everything -- Maintain a clear record of your concerns and actions
Permissions
| Action | Required Permission |
|---|---|
| Create a mandatory report | All clinical staff |
| View mandatory reports | Assigned practitioner, supervisor, practice owner |
| Update a mandatory report | Assigned practitioner, supervisor, practice owner |
| Withdraw a pending report | Practice owner only |
| View dashboard and analytics | Supervisor, practice owner |
| Configure risk notification workflows | Practice owner or clinical governance lead |