The Big Picture
Suspected abuse or neglect must not stay hidden because someone sees it as a private family matter. Support workers have responsibilities to report concerns when they have reasonable grounds to suspect abuse or neglect.
The exact reporting route depends on the situation. Suspected child abuse has direct reporting requirements. Suspected abuse of older persons or people with disabilities in facilities also involves reporting responsibilities, workplace policies, and provincial or territorial law.
Look for Nova Scotia CCA Notes throughout this page for current provincial guidance.
Quick tip: Tap, click, or press Enter on any term with a dotted underline and an ⓘ icon to see its plain-English definition.
Start Here If You’re Overwhelmed
Focus on these core ideas:
- Abuse means deliberate physical or mental harm caused by another person or people.
- If you have reasonable grounds to suspect abuse or neglect, promptly report your concerns.
- Suspected child abuse must be reported directly to child-protection authorities.
- Do not rely on your supervisor to make a child-abuse report for you. Consult your supervisor for advice before making your report.
- For suspected older-person abuse, immediately report your suspicions to your supervisor according to employer policy.
- Know your employer’s policy and the provincial or territorial law that applies to reporting abuse within a facility.
Jump to:
Course Notes: Key Ideas You Need to Know
What Abuse and Neglect Mean
Abuse is physical or mental harm that another person deliberately causes.
Neglect means a person is left uncared for physically, emotionally, or psychologically.
Child abuse means mistreatment or neglect of a child by a parent, guardian, or caregiver.
These terms matter because reporting responsibilities apply when there are reasonable grounds to suspect abuse or neglect.
The General Duty to Report Suspected Abuse
Every Canadian province and territory has legislation that creates reporting responsibilities for members of the public and professional organizations.
The duty applies when there are reasonable grounds to suspect abuse involving:
- a child
- a person with physical or mental challenges
- an older person
The suspected person causing the abuse might be a parent, adult child, caregiver, or guardian.
Support workers share this reporting obligation.
Abuse Is Not a Private Matter That Must Stay Hidden
Some people believe family abuse should remain behind closed doors. Others believe there is no point reporting because they cannot change the situation.
Neither belief removes the responsibility to report suspected abuse or neglect.
When you have reasonable grounds for concern, promptly report it through an appropriate reporting route.
Depending on the situation, reporting routes include:
- a child welfare agency
- a provincial or territorial social services department
- the police force in the community
A report may be made anonymously when necessary.
Protection for a Person Who Reports
The person making a report receives protection from legal action, provided the report is not falsely made and motivated by malice .
The important point is that the protection applies to legitimate reporting of suspected abuse or neglect.
Suspected Child Abuse
Suspected child abuse has a clear direct-reporting rule.
If you witness or suspect child abuse, you must report it directly to child-protection authorities.
Your name will be kept confidential .
Your Supervisor Does Not Replace Your Reporting Duty
You should consult your supervisor and get advice before making the report.
At the same time, you must not rely on your supervisor to report suspected child abuse for you. The responsibility to make the direct report remains with you.
This distinction is important:
- Consult your supervisor and get advice.
- Make your own report directly to child-protection authorities.
In some provinces, failing to report child abuse can result in fines or imprisonment.
Nova Scotia CCA Note
Sorrentino’s Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker, 5th Edition gives the general rule that suspected child abuse must be reported directly to child-protection authorities. In Nova Scotia, everyone has a duty to immediately report even a suspicion of abuse or neglect involving a child 18 or younger.
The report goes to a child and family wellbeing agency. The Government of Nova Scotia lists 1-877-424-1177 as the provincial reporting number.
Why this matters in Nova Scotia: Nova Scotia makes the timing and reporting route specific. Students should recognize that the duty applies at the suspicion stage and the report goes to child and family wellbeing services.
Official source: Report child abuse or neglect – Government of Nova Scotia (novascotia.ca)
Last checked: September 6, 2026
Suspected Older-Person Abuse in Facilities
Reporting responsibilities also apply to witnessed or suspected abuse of older persons or people with disabilities within facilities.
All provinces and territories have laws requiring health care workers to report witnessed or suspected abuse of older persons or people with disabilities within facilities.
Where public reporting is required, workers report the abuse directly to a public authority.
Even when public reporting is not required in a province or territory, the worker should inform the supervisor about witnessed or suspected abuse.
Nova Scotia CCA Note
Sorrentino gives a broad Canada-wide description of facility reporting. In Nova Scotia, the Protection for Persons in Care Act provides a specific reporting rule for patients and residents 16 years of age and older in covered care settings.
The Act requires facility administrators and service providers, including staff and volunteers, to promptly report all allegations or instances of abuse. Reports under the Act go through the provincial Protection for Persons in Care process, and the Government of Nova Scotia lists 1-800-225-7225 for reporting.
Why this matters in Nova Scotia: The provincial rule identifies the covered care settings and places a direct reporting duty on service providers, including staff.
Official source: Protection for Persons in Care Act – Government of Nova Scotia (novascotia.ca)
Last checked: September 6, 2026
Record Your Observations
For suspected older-person abuse, write down your observations.
Include as many details as you can and keep the information in a safe place. This record helps you remember details later if they are needed.
Know the Rules That Apply in Your Workplace
You need to know:
- your employer’s policy for reporting abuse within a facility
- the provincial or territorial law that applies to reporting abuse
For suspected older-person abuse, immediately report your suspicions to your supervisor according to your employer’s policies.
Mentally Capable Adults and Seeking Help
Mentally capable adults make their own choices and decisions about whether to seek help.
That choice does not remove the support worker’s responsibility to immediately report suspicions to the supervisor according to employer policy.
Keep these two ideas separate:
- The mentally capable adult decides whether to seek help.
- The support worker reports suspicions to the supervisor according to workplace policy.
Nova Scotia CCA Note
Sorrentino explains that mentally capable adults make their own choices about seeking help. Nova Scotia’s Adult Protection Services applies to adults 16 years and older who face significant risk from self-neglect, abuse, or neglect and who are unable to protect themselves because of mental or physical incapacity.
In Nova Scotia, a person who knows of an adult in need of protection must immediately report the case. The provincial reporting number is 1-800-225-7225. If the person’s life is in danger, the Government of Nova Scotia directs people to call 911 immediately.
Why this matters in Nova Scotia: The Adult Protection Act applies when the adult meets the province’s protection criteria. The person’s ability to protect themselves is part of that provincial framework.
Official source: Protecting Vulnerable Adults – Government of Nova Scotia (novascotia.ca)
Last checked: September 6, 2026
Exam Clue Words
- Must: Suspected or witnessed child abuse must be reported directly to child-protection authorities.
- Before: Consult your supervisor and get advice before making your child-abuse report.
- Do not rely: Do not depend on your supervisor to make the child-abuse report for you.
- Promptly: Report concerns promptly when you have reasonable grounds to suspect abuse or neglect.
- Immediately: For suspected older-person abuse, immediately report your suspicions to your supervisor according to employer policy.
Common Mix-Ups
| Wrong Idea | Better Idea |
|---|---|
| Family abuse should stay private. | Reasonable grounds to suspect abuse or neglect create a reporting responsibility. |
| A mentally capable adult’s choice about seeking help means the worker does not report. | The adult chooses whether to seek help, while the worker still reports suspicions to the supervisor according to employer policy. |
Fast Review
Focus on the reporting route, the person responsible for reporting, and words such as must, directly, promptly, and immediately.
- Abuse means deliberate physical or mental harm caused by another person or people.
- Neglect means being uncared for physically, emotionally, or psychologically.
- Reasonable grounds to suspect abuse or neglect trigger a responsibility to report concerns promptly.
- A report may be anonymous when necessary.
- A person who reports receives legal protection when the report is not falsely made and motivated by malice.
- Suspected child abuse must be reported directly to child-protection authorities.
- Consult your supervisor before making a child-abuse report, but do not rely on the supervisor to report for you.
- For suspected older-person abuse, immediately report suspicions to your supervisor according to employer policy.
- Record detailed observations about suspected older-person abuse and keep the information safe.
- Know your employer’s policy and the provincial or territorial law concerning abuse reporting within a facility.
- Mentally capable adults make their own decisions about seeking help.
Final Pep Talk
This topic asks you to separate several reporting responsibilities that sound similar. Focus on who receives the report, who must make it, and controlling words such as directly, promptly, and immediately.