What is Gatehouse Centre?

Gatehouse Centre is a department of the Royal Children’s Hospital and a Centre Against Sexual Assault (CASA) - a specialist sexual assault service.

The Gatehouse Centre provides therapeutic interventions and support for:

• Children and young people aged 0-17 years, 
• Who have experienced sexual abuse, sexual assault or sexual violence, and/or have engaged in harmful or problematic sexual behaviour,
• And their non-offending family members and carers,
• Living in Brimbank Melton or Western Melbourne (Moonee Valley, Maribyrnong, Melbourne Hobsons Bay and Wyndham LGAs), or
• Inpatients at The Royal Children’s Hospital. 

Why would a child or young person come to Gatehouse Centre?

A child or young person may have told someone (i.e. you, a teacher, a friend, another relative) about an experience of sexual abuse.

• If you are a child or young person and:
  • someone has sexually abused you,
  • someone has exposed you to pornography,
  • you have witnessed sexual abuse,
  • you have witnessed sexually inappropriate content,
  • you are worried you may have been sexually abused.
• If you are concerned that a child or young person may have been acting in a sexual manner either with other children or with themselves.

If this is the case, a child or young person may come to Gatehouse Centre for an assessment of current concerns. Some children and young people go on to need treatment to assist and develop helpful ways of coping with the impacts of the abuse or concerning behaviours.

Gatehouse Centre also provides training and consultation services for professionals and other agencies.

Gatehouse Centre acknowledges the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land on which RCH is situated, the land of Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present and emerging.

Gatehouse Centre values and celebrates diversity and is committed to providing a service that is fully inclusive.