Safeguarding escalation: what to do now

If you have a current safeguarding concern about a child, this is the article to follow. Work through it now, top to bottom. The other articles in this section are reference; this one is action.

If you're already on the injury, you're in the right place. If you're looking at a triage note that hasn't been escalated to an injury yet, escalate it first (tap Escalate to injury on the triage entry).

For concerns about an adult's behaviour rather than a specific injury, you don't need an injury record at all. Raise it directly with the MPIO — either speak to them and ask them to log it, or use the confidential "Raise a concern" form on the Safeguarding & Member Protection page. The MPIO's concern log keeps the matter self-contained without inventing a clinical record.

Use neutral, descriptive language:

"Three crescent-shaped bruises on the left upper arm, consistent with grip pressure. Player said he 'fell into the goalpost'. Mum said it happened at home. No other reported injuries this season."

Don't speculate about cause in writing. The Internal note may be read later by other professionals (MPIO, OCG, police, FACS). Stick to what you observed and what you were told, attributed to who said it.

Don't delete or amend Internal notes after escalation. They're a contemporaneous record and may be evidentiary.

At the top of the injury detail panel there's a Safeguarding flag. Tap it. You'll be asked to:

• Confirm the indicator(s) (free text, brief)
• Confirm the urgency (immediate / within 24 hours / general concern)
• Optionally add another medical staff member as a co-flagger

When you confirm, Clubhouse:

• Creates a confidential concern visible to the MPIO only — linked to this injury, with your observation notes, the urgency, and a snapshot of the player and injury.
• Immediately notifies the MPIO by push and email.
• Shows a flagged marker on the injury to medical staff only — coaches and family see nothing, and the marker itself carries no case detail (that lives on the MPIO's confidential concern).

Don't rely solely on the in-app notification. Pick up the phone or grab them in person. The escalation workflow is designed for the in-app message to be a record, not the only signal. The MPIO needs to hear from you directly so they can ask clarifying questions and start case management without delay.

If your MPIO is unavailable (after hours, on leave) and the concern is immediate, escalate to:

• The next-most-senior MPIO designate (your club should have a back-up).
• Failing that, your club president or super-admin.
• Failing that, FA NSW Member Protection on their published number.
• For a child in immediate danger, call 000.

If you're a registered health practitioner (including registered physiotherapists), you are a mandatory reporter under NSW law. If you have a current concern about risk of significant harm to a child, you are legally obliged to report to the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (Family and Community Services).

The MPIO can support the process but cannot make the report on your behalf if you are the mandatory reporter who formed the concern. The MPIO will help you with:

• Wording the report
• Gathering the case detail you'll need
• Liaising with FACS afterwards

• Don't investigate. Don't interview the child, the family, or the alleged perpetrator. That's the MPIO's role with appropriate external support.
• Don't tell the family that you've raised a safeguarding flag. Disclosure can compromise an investigation and put a child at greater risk.
• Don't tell the coach or other team staff. The flag is visible only to the medical group and the MPIO.
• Don't post on the family's Clubhouse channel about the concern, and avoid messaging the family outside Clubhouse. Continue any genuinely clinical injury updates as normal, but never reference the safeguarding flag in a family-facing note.
• Don't delete any of your documentation, ever.

The MPIO will:

• Review your documentation and any prior records.
• Decide whether the matter meets the threshold for an external report (reportable conduct, mandatory reporting, police).
• Convene the club's Member Protection team if the case is complex.
• Coordinate any external referral with the OCG, Family and Community Services, and/or NSW Police.
• Liaise with Football NSW per FA's National Member Protection Framework if the conduct involves a registered participant.
• Provide a written summary back into the Internal notes once the case is closed.

You may be asked to provide additional documentation, attend a meeting, or speak with external investigators.

• The case stays on the player's medical record (visible to medical staff and MPIO only).
• A summary entry is added to the Internal notes.
• If the player needs ongoing medical follow-up, that proceeds as normal under the standard injury workflow — the safeguarding context doesn't change clinical management.
• If you have any ongoing concerns, raise them again with the MPIO. The flag can be re-raised at any time.

These cases are hard. Football Australia and FA NSW have employee assistance and peer support resources. Use them. Speak to a clinical supervisor or a trusted peer afterwards. Don't carry it alone.