A notification consists of reports made to the Department responsible for child protection by persons or other bodies making allegations of child abuse or neglect, child maltreatment or harm to a child. Notification should not include reports regarding wider concerns about children or families which are classified as child concern reports.

Notifications are relevant to persons who are aged less than 18 years, and to unborn children in jurisdictions where they are covered under the child protection legislation.

A notification can involve only one child; where it is claimed that two children have been abused or neglected or harmed, this is counted as two notifications, even if the children are from one family. Where there is more than one notification about the same 'event', this is counted as only one notification. Where there is more than one notification within the reference period, but relating to different events (for instance, a different type of abuse or neglect or a different person believed responsible), these are counted as separate notifications.

Each notification recorded by the Department responsible for child protection will be a new line in the file, delineated by a notification identifier and notification date.

An investigation is the process whereby the Department responsible for child protection seeks to obtain more detailed information about a child who is the subject of a notification and makes an assessment about the harm or degree of harm to the child and their protective needs. An investigation includes the interviewing or sighting of the subject child where it is practicable to do so.

A finalised investigation is classified as ‘substantiated’ where there is reasonable cause to believe that the child has been, is being or is likely to be abused or neglected or otherwise harmed. Substantiation does not necessarily require sufficient evidence for a successful prosecution and does not imply that treatment or case management was, or is to be, provided.

Substantiations are classified into four categories: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. Where more than one type of abuse or neglect or harm has occurred, the substantiation should be classified to the type most likely to be the most severe in the short term or most likely to place the child at risk in the short term, or if such an assessment is not possible, to the most obvious form of abuse or neglect.