Employers check the Check

 

At the Office of the Children’s Guardian, our goal is to create safe places for children and young people, and we recognise that most organisations share this goal.

To help child-related organisations create safer places, we will be following an escalation model of compliance and enforcement with a focus on capability building in organisations.

We have a new Compliance and Enforcement policy that makes it clear what is expected of organisations that work with children.  This year our focus is on ensuring child-related employers are:

  • registered as employers in the Working with Children Check system
  • verifying child-related workers’ Working with Children Checks

If your organisation works with children and you are not complying with these laws, fines apply – but you do have some time to get your records in order.

We are offering a one-off amnesty for employers to verify their workers by 30 June 2021. This amnesty applies to employers who engage workers in child related work that:

  1. are registered or should be registered as an employer for the Working with Children Check; and
  2. have not previously verified any of their workers.

After this date, enforcement action will be taken against employers who have not complied with this obligation.

There will be no amnesty period for employers that engage people in child-related work who are barred or interim barred from working with children as it places children and young persons at serious risk of harm.

If you need more information please visit our website  www.ocg.nsw.gov.au


Three WWCC steps for Adult Volunteers helping with Child Judo classes

All Judo NSW Coaches are required to have a current Working With Children Check (WWCC) clearance.

This also applies to adult volunteers assisting with classes where children (ie U18s) are participating.

The WWCC ‘clearance’ must be completed prior to getting on the mat.

A WWCC is free if not required for paid employment (i.e. volunteer basis).

A WWCC is required for most instances of Child Related Work.

Child related work (including voluntary work) is:

  • providing services for under 18s
  • where the work normally involves being face to face with children
  • where contact with children is more than incidental to the work.

Further details of WWCC requirements can be found at NSW Office of Children’s Guardian (OCG).

https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check/who-needs-check

The OCG can impose significant sanctions where there has been lack of compliance with WWCC process and requirements.


Important information about the Working With Children Check renewal

The Working With Children Check has been operating in NSW for nearly five years and some Working With Children (WWC) numbers will start to expire from 15 June 2018.

Individuals with a WWC number that is about to expire will be able to submit a renewal application online within three months of their expiry date. A reminder email will be sent from the Office of the Children’s Guardian to applicants three months before their WWC number expires.

You do not apply for a new Working With Children Check but simply renew, and your WWC number will be valid for another 5 years. Information on how to do this will be in the reminder email.

If the Office of the Children’s Guardian doesn’t hold a person’s current email address, they won’t be able to email them. You should keep your contact details up to date so you can be alerted about your WWC renewals by going to https://wwccheck.ocg.nsw.gov.au/ChangeDetails

What does this mean for me? (Employer)

We recommend employers review their own records for upcoming WWC expiry dates or ask their workers if they have renewed their WWC numbers.

When the WWC number has been renewed it needs to be re-verified by the person’s employer or organisation.

When an employer verifies they will receive a confirmation email. These emails help employers maintain workplace records for compliance.

A person cannot continue to work or volunteer in a child-related role if they do not renew their WWC number and have it verified by the employer.

It is an offence to work with children in NSW without a valid WWC clearance number or current application by the worker to the Office of the Children’s Guardian for a clearance.

For more information and downloadable resources about the Working With Children Check renewal go to https://wwccheck.ocg.nsw.gov.au/Renew

Steps for employees and volunteers to renew

  • Check your expiry date, either through your email records or by retrieving it online.
  • If your contact details are up to date, you will also receive an email from the Office of the Children’s Guardian which contains a link to the online renewal form.
  • After completing the online renewal form you receive a second email with a reference number.
  • You take the reference number to a Service NSW centre or motor registry and pay the renewal fee (if a fee is required).
  • You are sent a third email confirming a new expiry date for your WWC number.
  • You provide your employer with your WWC number and the new expiry date so it can be verified and the new date recorded by the employer.

 


Judo NSW Working With Children Check Process – Clubs, Coaches & Volunteer Process

Background

The NSW Sporting Sector is currently being phased-in to the Working with Children Check system from 1 April 2015.The phase-in deadline for this sector is 31 March 2016.

Judo NSW Clubs (including Coaches and other Workers and Volunteers involved with Children) have obligations and actions that need to completed to ensure compliance with the current legislation and continued operation as a registered club with Judo NSW.

The following information is provided to assist with the process – Note that the Office of the Children’s Guardian (OCG) website is a great resource for the WWCC process with How to Videos, Factsheets, FAQs etc and it is only a click away…

https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/

Step 1 – Determine what Club/organisation structure you have and who appoints your coaches and other resources (as either paid employees or volunteers)

Judo NSW has developed a simple matrix to assist with this process.  The key is whether your club is a ‘legal entity’ and who is responsible for the appointment (employed &/or volunteer basis) of coaches and other resources working with children.

Entity Need to Register as an Employer Organisation for the WWCC

Appointed Coaches & Volunteers etc need to register their

WWCC with Judo NSW

Appointed Coaches & Volunteers etc

To complete and register their WWCC with their own Judo Club/Organisation

Notes
Judo NSW (State Sporting Organisation)

YES

YES

N/A

Applies to all Judo NSW appointed employees and volunteers (ie State Coaches & Managers, Junior Development Coaches, NCAS Coordinator etc)
Member Club of Judo NSW (no legal entity – ie common interest group or informal club structure)

NO

YES

N/A

Child related Coaches and Volunteers need to complete the WWCC and provide their Clearance Letter to Judo NSW
Judo NSW Member Club that is a ‘Legal Entity’ (Incorporated Body, Registered Business with ABN etc)

YES

NO*

YES

*optional to register with Judo NSW
Judo NSW Member Club that is affiliated with a ‘parent organisation’ – PCYC, RSL, University

YES

NO*

YES

The PCYC/RSL/Uni etc should register as the Employer Organisation.

*optional to register with Judo NSW

Note – Current advice from the OCG is that it is ‘optional’ for judo clubs operating as registered businesses or as part of ‘parent’ organisations to also provide employee and volunteer child related coaches and other resources WWCC Clearance Letters to Judo NSW for verification.  These organisations retain responsibility to register as Employer Organisations and to complete and verify checks for their child related employees and volunteers.

Step 2 – Register your Judo Club/Business as an Employer Organisation (if required)

Please refer to the attached ‘Information for Employers’ factsheet and guide https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/organisations/reportable-conduct-scheme/reportable-conduct-fact-sheets

Employers must:

  • Register online with the new Working With Children Check:

Click on the following link to register as an Employer

https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check/wwcc-information-organisations/help-register-and-verify

or

Click on the following video tutorial link to see the process

  • Verify every new paid employee online before hiring them (see part 7)
  • Verify current paid workers and all volunteers (new and current) online as they are phased in to the new Check (see phase in schedule at ANNEX A)
  • Ensure their own Working With Children Check is verified online by an appropriate person in the organisation (employers cannot self-verify)
  • Remove any barred or unauthorised person from child-related work (see part 10)

Step 3 – Register  for WWCC and provide the Clearance Letter to your Employer Organisation (if required)

Specifically, you will need to register and undertake a Working With Children Check before 31 March 2016.  This will involve online registration and then attendance at a NSW Service Centre with ID to complete the process.

Click on the following link to go online and to register for the WWC Check:

https://wwccheck.ocg.nsw.gov.au/Apply

Click on the following link to watch a tutorial video to assist with the process

You will then need to provide/email your WWCC registration number to your Employer Organisation and or our Judo NSW Member Protection Information Officer so we can link your clearance to Judo NSW.

Need More Help

Once again we strongly recommend that you check out the Office of the Children’s Guardian website and online resources:

https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check/applicant