WORKING WITH CHILDREN TEMPLATES

Plan now for your working with children check phase from 1 April 2014.

Is your club reading for the working with children phase? There are a number of important exemptions from the WWCC requirement, including for volunteer parents or other close relatives of the child. The sports brochure will give you more information and what to do for your club. 

A series of free workshops are also available to help your club.  Further details and how to book is available. 

For more information please view the media release.

From the recent Swimming NSW State Forum held in July 2014, please find below the Working with children presentation and other email templates. 

SNSW State Forum - Working with Children Presentation 260714

WWC - Club-Area Member Information Email Template

WWC – Club-Area Member Confirmation Email Template

WWC - Club-Area Database Template

FACT SHEET: WORKING WITH CHILDREN

The safety, welfare and wellbeing of Children are a priority concern for Swimming NSW.  This SNSW FACT SHEET is designed to help clubs and individuals understand their obligations under the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012.

The new Working with Children Check is an online process that is more comprehensive and provides better protection for children. A Working with Children Check involves a national police check and review of findings of misconduct involving children, and the result is either a clearance to work with children for five years, or a bar against working with children. If the outcome is a clearance, the Check can be used for any child-related work (paid or voluntary) in NSW.

 

FOR VOLUNTEERS

As part of our ongoing commitment to the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children, Swimming NSW recommends ALL volunteers undertake the new Working with Children process during 2015.

 This process for sporting volunteers will be phased in during 2015. However, under legislation, there are exemptions for some categories of volunteers under the Child Protection (Working with Children) Regulation 2013. They are:

• Children (under the age of 18)
• Volunteering by a parent or close relative with a team, program or other activity in which the child usually participates or is a team member; except where the work is part of a formal mentoring program or involves personal care of children with a disability. (Part 4, Clause 20)
• Clubs or other bodies providing services for children if the work is work as a referee, umpire, linesperson or otherwise as a sporting official or a grounds person, and the work does not ordinarily involve contact with children for extended periods without other adults being present. (part 2)

 

APPLICATION PROCESS FOR INDIVIDUALS - NSW CLUBS

• This is mandatory for PAID employees

STEP 1:

Fill in an online application form

Go to www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au and fill in the online application form. If you do not have access to the internet, please call (02) 9286 7219 for assistance.

Please make sure the details you provide are EXACTLY THE SAME as the details on your identity documents. If you have submitted the form with a mistake, please redo the form to avoid problems with the proof of identity requirement at step two.

Ensure you select the correct category: paid or volunteer worker. The $80 fee for paid workers is not refundable if you are a volunteer and you choose ‘paid worker’ by mistake. A Check for paid workers will cover both paid and volunteer work in NSW for five years. VOLUNTEERS DO NOT PAY ANY FEE FOR THE CHECK.

Once you have submitted the form, you will receive an application number that looks like this: APP1234567.

PLEASE NOTE! Before you go to a NSW motor registry or Council Agency:

• You cannot submit proof of identity on behalf of someone else. You must appear in person with your own documentation.
• Proof of identity cannot be performed outside of NSW. It must be completed at a NSW motor registry or NSW Council Agency that offers RMS services.

 

STEP 2: Present proof of your identity

Go to any NSW motor registry or NSW Council Agency that offers RMS services.

You will need your application number and proof of your identity (same as for a NSW driver’s licence). You must have both of these items for your application to proceed.

Receiving your results

You will receive your outcome and Working with Children Check number by email (or post if you do not have an email address). If you are in paid work, you will also be required to pay an $80 fee for a five year clearance. This number should then be provided to your relevant club, region or Swimming NSW office.

This number stays with the individual – only one check is required per person regardless of different organisations that they work or volunteer for.

 

PROCESS FOR CLUBS

Before you hire a new, paid child-related worker, you must verify the status of their Working with Children Check online to ensure they have a clearance to work with children, or have completed an application for a Check. As volunteers (new and existing) and current paid workers are phased in, you will need to verify their Working with Children Checks online.

Volunteers who have completed their Working with Children check should provide the WWWC Number to the relevant club official for online verification.

It is recommended that Clubs appoint a designated person responsible for the obligations under the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012. This could be as part of a current role or a new role depending on the Club.

PLEASE NOTE! Verification MUST be done online.

If you are an employer and/or club that employs individuals in any capacity you must check that your employees are cleared to work by completing the following steps;

1. Go to www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au and click the Start here button on the right hand side. A new page will appear.

2. Choose Log in from the for employers section. If you have not already registered as an employer, please choose Register) then enter your login details. 

3. Select the verify Working with Children status tab.

4. Enter the worker or volunteer’s:

surname

date of birth

Working with Children Check number (or application number)

5. Click Verify

 

MEMBER DECLARATION FORM TEMPLATES

To assist Clubs and Areas Swimming NSW will also provide Member Protection Declaration Form templates which you can ask volunteers at your Club to complete prior to being involved in Club activities. These should be used if someone wants to volunteer and has not yet had a chance to complete the Working with Children Check or if your Club has decided not to ask its volunteers to complete the Working with Children Check.

 

MORE INFORMATION

For more information and fact sheets on the Working with Children Check, please go to the Office of the Children’s Guardian website.