The challenge
Child maltreatment remains one of Australia's most significant and under-recognised public health challenges. Approximately 48% of adults who experienced child maltreatment developed a mental health disorder. It is also associated with suicide risk, chronic disease, substance misuse and intergenerational trauma.
Emergency Departments are often among the few places where vulnerable children come into contact with professionals who can identify warning signs, yet concerns can be missed due to time pressure, workforce turnover, and the complexity of presentations.
The Safer Kids Project (SKiP), implemented at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, is designed to help change this. It brings together emergency clinicians, paediatricians, nurses, social workers, mental health staff and education representatives to provide a coordinated approach to identifying and responding to children who may be at risk of abuse, neglect or family violence.
The impact
An evaluation of the SKiP model, published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, looked at 1,382 children identified as potentially at risk. It found that the multidisciplinary approach helped clinicians identify child protection concerns earlier and respond more effectively while children were still in the Emergency Department.
The impact of the SKiP was further recognised in 2026 when it received the Sydney Local Health District Excellence Award for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, in recognition of its contribution to improving care and outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.
What this will unlock
For children who may be unable to speak for themselves, this early intervention can be particularly important. One of the most important insights from the study was the number of infants under two years of age requiring further action following multidisciplinary review. The SKiP model provides a safety net, helping ensure vulnerable children receive the careful assessment and advocacy they need when subtle signs might otherwise be overlooked.
The longer-term opportunity is to develop a validated and scalable approach that hospitals across NSW and Australia could adopt. Earlier identification of maltreatment creates opportunities to protect children before harm escalates, support families sooner and reduce the long-term health, social and economic burden associated with abuse and neglect.
"By embedding child protection into everyday emergency care, we're transforming brief hospital encounters into opportunities to change the trajectory of a child's life."
Prof Michael Dinh
Funding support from Hearts & Minds, as nominated by Regal Funds Management. This content was last updated in July 2026. For further information, visit RPA Green Light Institute for Emergency Care.
