The State And Territory-Wise Police Checks For Volunteers In Australia

The participation in Volunteer jobs is rising in Australia, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. However, every state and territory has its requirements for the volunteers.

Volunteers may have to go through a screening process as a proof of the suitability for the particular job, especially if they are applying for the jobs that involves ‘vulnerable’ group, i.e. child, aged and disabled.

If we talk about service-specific volunteer police checks, then the police checks may be required to work in an Aged care, Child care, health, education and training centres, community works or emergencies like urgent foster carer needed. It may be required in financial and driving duties as well.

A volunteer may be asked to obtain two types of checks,

i) Police check for Volunteers and
ii) Working with Children Check.

What is Working with Children Check (WWCC)?

A WWCC is almost mandatory in all Australian state or territory when a volunteer job has supervised or unsupervised contact to the children. However, it may not be required in a few states.

While a Police Check for Volunteers does not show the ‘spent’ convictions, a Working with Children Check retrieves all ‘spent’ convictions and other offences that may impact the suitability while working with children.

Generally, the National Police checks for volunteers are needed for two purposes;

Government funding: When Volunteer organisation asks police checks for employees to satisfy specific government department’s funding requirements.

Duty of Care: Where organisations request a Police check to protect members, volunteers, and the organisation to meet legal requirements that all possible efforts are made.

Some organisation may offer to pay the price of the Criminal History Checks after the applicant provides consent. In contrast, many organisations will ask the applicants to obtain it by themselves from any ACIC accredited provider.

In some Australian state or territory like South Australia (SA), it may be possible to have a free police check if the job profile has contact with ‘vulnerable’ groups. However, it’s only possible when the organisation meet the eligibility criterion to apply for the same.

Volunteer checks State and Territory -wise

Let’s have a look at the requirements in the States and Territories of Australia.

Volunteer checks in Victoria (VIC)

Volunteer Police checks may be required for working in the government-funded aged care.

Working with Children Check is mandatory. The check is valid for 5 years and transferable between states.

Volunteer checks in South Australia (SA)

Volunteer Police checks and Working with Children Checks are mandatory. It’s the employer’s responsibility to ensure that the checks have been conducted.

As described above, some organisation in SA may avail the free police checks by the government if they meet the eligibility criterion.

Volunteer checks in Queensland (QLD)

It is mandatory to obtain a Criminal History Check For The Volunteers who apply to work in government-funded aged care.

Working with Children check is here known as ‘Blue Card’. The system monitors and reports criminal histories to employers in an ongoing fashion. The blue card is valid for 2 years and transferrable between organisations.

Volunteer checks in Australia Capital Territory (ACT)

There is no legal obligation for the volunteers to obtain a police check. However, the organisations need to ensure that the applicants are ‘fit and proper’ to work with the children. So, most of the organisations now ask the volunteers to obtain a police check certificate.

Volunteer checks in New South Wales (NSW)

Volunteers who work in aged care must obtain a police check certificate. However, a Working with Children check is not available in this state. Volunteers who are willing to work with children need to sign a ‘prohibited employment declaration’ form to confirm their suitability.

Volunteer checks in Northern Territory (NT)

A volunteer police check is mandatory to work in aged care. Recently, a Working with Children check and having an ‘Ochre Card’ has become a compulsion to work with the children.

Volunteer checks in Western Australia (WA)

Volunteer police check and a Working with Children check is compulsory. WWCC must be obtained from Australia post outlets in WA.

Volunteer checks in Tasmania (TAS)

Working with Children check is not legally required though every organisation has its risk management policies.

KONCHECK, an accredited site of ACIC, can be your one-stop solution to obtain a criminal history check for volunteers as it is fast, affordable and secure.