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Working with Children Checks and other Suitability Checks for School Volunteers and Visitors

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Guidance

Introduction

This guidance helps schools determine if contractors, volunteers or other workers need:

  • a Working with Children Clearance
  • other suitability checks.

For school employees, refer to:

All references to ‘schools’ in this guidance includes school boarding premises.

To check if a Working with Children Clearance is required schools can use the Working with Children Clearance Flowchart (PDF)(opens in a new window).

Further information about the difference between child-related and child-connected work is provided below.

A Working with Children Clearance is required for child-related work

Anyone doing child-related work must have a valid Working with Children Clearance, unless an exemption applies. The work may be paid or unpaid.

Child-related work is defined in the Worker Screening Act 2020 as work that:

  • involves an adult working with children under 18 years old (both paid and unpaid work)
  • usually involves direct contact with a child or children, including physical, face-to-face, written, oral or electronic contact
  • the contact with the child or children is a usual part of the person’s duties and is not occasional direct contact which is incidental to their work.

An activity may be ‘child-related work’ regardless of whether another person supervises the contact with a child. For example, even if a visitor or volunteer is supervised, they must:

  • have a current Working with Children Clearance if they are performing child-related work
  • provide evidence of that Working with Children Clearance to the school.
Examples of child-related work

Examples of child-related work can include:

  • working with students in a classroom. For example, library assistant, tutor, instructor, coach, mentor or in any other capacity including any extracurricular activities organised by the school
  • parents volunteering in the classroom in any capacity
  • supervising students (for example, camps, sports, excursions, concerts, swimming)
  • providing school incursions
  • school photographers
  • school bus drivers
  • providing attendant care, allied health or NDIS support
  • supporting homework, breakfast, or lunch clubs
  • providing leadership or cultural workshops or other student support activities
  • providing distance education
  • school fetes or fundraising roles that work directly with children (for example, facepainting)
  • canteen and uniform shop assistants
  • Special Religious Instruction instructors
  • chaplains, mentors and guides from partner organisations
  • an Early Childhood Education and Care service on school grounds (for example, a kinder or playgroup).

For more information about the occupations that fall within the legal definition of child-related work, refer to Working with Children Check Victoria(opens in a new window).

When a Working with Children Clearance is not legally required – exemptions

A person is exempt from needing a Working with Children Clearance if they are any one of the following:

  • a registered teacher in Victoria
  • a parent volunteering in an activity with their child
  • under the age of 18
  • a student who is 18 or 19 years old volunteering or on placement, organised by an educational institution
  • closely related to all the children they are undertaking the activity with
  • a Victoria or Australian Federal Police officer.

Even if a person is legally exempt, they may still be required to get a Working with Children Clearance if the school requires it in their visitors policy or volunteers policy. This ensures that everyone is adequately screened, considering the child safety risks relevant to their role.

The department strongly recommends that schools require anyone who volunteers regularly or assists with excursions, camps or similar events obtain a Working with Children Clearance given the nature of the contact volunteers may have with students in these situations.

If a school requires an exempt person to hold a Working with Children Clearance through their visitors or volunteers policy, they can connect them to the school, via Working with Children (WWC) Connect(opens in a new window), with their consent.

When a registered teacher or police officer invokes an exemption, they need to provide evidence. For example, a teacher needs to show their VIT registration, and a police officer needs to show their warrant card. The school must keep a record of this evidence.

Schools may establish local policies to increase requirements for child-connected and child-related work

The Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic) sets out the minimum requirements in relation to Working with Children Clearance including record keeping and notification requirements.

Schools may require visitors or anyone undertaking child-connected work to hold a Working with Children Clearance or complete another screening check. This may be based on the nature of the role or identified safety risks.

Schools are not required to inform the Social Services Regulator (SSR) about anyone undertaking child-connected work via WWC Connect.

However, schools can notify the SSR through WWC Connect(opens in a new window) about anyone doing child-connected work, with their consent. If they do, the school must notify the regulator when the person starts and finishes the work. Schools can seek consent using the Consent form – Connecting your Working with Children Clearance to our school (DOCX)(opens in a new window).

For example, the school may wish to use WWC Connect to connect a gardener who is doing child-connected work to the school. This ensures that the school will be notified if the status of the gardener’s Working with Children Clearance changes. Go to Examples of managing Working with Children Clearance scenarios for contractors, volunteers, other workers and visitors.

For more guidance on circumstances when a Working with Children Clearance is required under the Worker Screening Act 2020, visit Working with Children Victoria(opens in a new window).

For information on suitability checks for employees, go to: Suitability for Employment Checks and Recruitment in Schools.

For information on record keeping requirements go to: Working with Children Clearance procedure and register (staff login required)(opens in a new window).

Considerations relevant to additional suitability checks for child-related work

In assessing what additional suitability checks are undertaken, schools must consider the child safety risks relevant to the contractor or volunteer’s role. Factors to consider may include:

  • the type of work being undertaken
  • the location where the work will be performed
  • the time of day when the work will be performed
  • how much time the person spends on school premises to perform their work while children are present
  • how the person will be supervised
  • whether the individual will be able to move freely around the school without staff members accompanying them or near staff members
  • reasonable expectations of the school community in screening requirements for this type of contractor or volunteer
  • reasonable precautions to supervise visitors and volunteers, including their contact with children, where this is considered necessary.

Child-connected work

Consider what suitability checks the school will require for child-connected work

Under the Child Safe Standards, for child-connected work, schools must make decisions on what suitability checks they will require, considering the child safety risks relevant to the person’s role.

Templates for school-level visitors and volunteer policies are available on the School Policy Templates Portal (staff login required)(opens in a new window). Schools can modify the templates to suit their local circumstances.

Child-connected work means:

  • work authorised by the school governing authority and performed by an adult in a school environment while children are present or reasonably expected to be present
  • for the purposes of a school boarding premises, work authorised by the provider of school boarding services in a school boarding premises environment while children are present or reasonably expected to be present.

Examples of child-connected work can include:

  • school council members (must have WWCC and be connected via WWC Connect(opens in a new window))
  • guest speakers at assemblies or in class
  • working on school buildings, grounds maintenance, assets, building work, cleaning
  • working bees
  • Members of Parliament, candidates or delegations visiting schools
  • school fete, fundraising stalls or food stalls where children may be customers (for example sausage sizzles, cake stalls)
  • visiting tradespeople or professionals not working with students (for example, auditors)
  • anyone else working on school sites but not directly with children.

Working with Children Clearances for contractors, volunteers, other workers and other visitors engaged in child-connected work

Schools may require some or all visitors and volunteers engaged in child-connected work to have a Working with Children Clearance before commencing work.

It is the responsibility of the principal to determine if a Working with Children Clearance is required, considering the child safety risks relevant to the person’s role. If the contact with a child or children is occasional direct contact which is incidental to the work being performed, then a Working with Children Clearance may be deemed unnecessary.

Even if a person is exempt, they may still be required to get a Working with Children Clearance if the school requires it as part of their visitors policy or volunteers policy.

This ensures that everyone is adequately screened, considering the child safety risks relevant to the role.

The department strongly recommends that schools require anyone who volunteers regularly or who assists with excursions, camps or similar events obtain a Working with Children Clearance given the contact volunteers may have with other students in these situations.

If a school requires an exempt person to hold a Working with Children Clearance through their visitors or volunteers policy, they can connect them to the school, via WWC Connect(opens in a new window), with their consent.

Refer to the Working with Children Clearance Flowchart (PDF)(opens in a new window) for more guidance.

Additional suitability checks for contracted service providers

Separately to Working with Children Clearance, which is covered above, for visitors who are contracted service providers or employees or intermediaries of contracted service providers (third parties) who are engaged in child-related work, schools may collect and record:

  • information about any essential or relevant professional or other qualifications
  • the person’s history of work involving children
  • references that address the person’s suitability for the job and for working with children.

Note that this requirement only applies to contractors who are considered ‘school staff’ as defined in Ministerial Order 1039 and engaged to perform child-related work. For example, a Chaplain employed by a contracted service provider engaged by the school who is working directly with children to provide welfare support.

Volunteer recruitment

Schools are required to:

If a school requires an exempt person to hold a Working with Children Clearance through their visitors or volunteers policy, they can connect them to the school, via WWC Connect, with their consent.

Refer to the Policy tab for more information.

When recruiting volunteers who will undertake child-connected work, schools are encouraged to consider the child safety risks relevant to the volunteer role and screen volunteers for their suitability during recruitment.

Where reasonable and appropriate, schools can develop questions to include in volunteer selection processes relevant to the role.

For roles that are assessed as having greater child safety risks, schools may need to:

  • seek personal or professional references for volunteers as appropriate
  • ask referees about the person’s character and experience in working with children and young people
  • ask whether the referee has any concerns about the volunteer working with children and young people.

Examples of managing Working with Children Clearance scenarios for contractors, volunteers, other workers and visitors

Below are examples of how a school can use this policy and guidance to work with the Social Services Regulator (SSR).

Individual contractors or other workers doing child-related work

Example: A visiting music teacher engaged as a contractor, and not employed through an organisation, visits the school weekly to provide piano lessons to students.

This is child-related work. Go to Working with Children Clearance flowchart (PDF)(opens in a new window) for more guidance.

Check

The school checks the piano teacher’s Working with Children Clearance on the WWC status checker. This happens before they start providing lessons.

Connect

When the teacher starts, the school connects their Working with Children Clearance to the school on WWC Connect(opens in a new window).

Record

The school records on WWC Connect:

  • the first date the teacher does child-related work within 7 days of that date
  • the last date the teacher does child-related work within 7 days of that date.
Maintain

The school records the details of the piano teacher on the school’s Working with Children Clearance Register template (staff login required)(opens in a new window).

Agency employees doing child-related work

Example: the school engages an agency to run a science incursion session for students. Two employees of the agency attend the school to run the session.

The 2 employees are undertaking child-related work. It is the responsibility of the agency to:

The school assesses the child safety risks linked to the employees visiting the school. The school decides to ensure that both agency employees have a Working with Children Clearance.

Check

The school checks the Working with Children Clearances on the WWC status checker(opens in a new window). This happens before the incursion begins, either ahead of time or processed upon their arrival to the school.

Connect

There are no actions on WWC Connect for the school to take.

Record

There are no actions on WWC Connect for the school to take.

Maintain

The school records the attendance of the agency employees in their visitors register in line with their visitors policy.

Volunteer doing child-related work

Example: a parent volunteers in the school canteen throughout the year.

The parent is doing child-related work.

Check

The school checks the volunteer’s Working with Children Clearance on the WWC status checker. This happens before they start child-related work.

Connect

When the volunteer starts, the school connects the volunteer’s Working with Children Clearance to the school on WWC Connect. This is most likely to be processed upon their first arrival to the school, but can happen before.

Record

The school records on WWC Connect(opens in a new window):

  • the first date the volunteer does child-related work within 21 days of that date
  • the last date the volunteer does child-related work within 21 days of that date.
Maintain

The school records the details of the volunteer on the school’s Working with Children Clearance Register template (staff login required)(opens in a new window).

Volunteers doing child-related and child-connected work

Example: the school engages many volunteers to help run the school fete.

  • Everyone volunteering for the school fete is a volunteer at the school.
  • Depending on their role, volunteers at the fete may be undertaking child-related or child-connected work. For example:
    • child-related work: a parent who volunteers as a face painter
    • child-connected work: a parent who operates the cake stall.
  • To check if a Working with Children Clearance is required schools can use the Working with Children Clearance flowchart (PDF)(opens in a new window).
Check
  • For volunteers doing child-related work:
  • For volunteers doing child-connected work:
    • the school assesses the child safety related risks linked to the volunteer’s role to decide if a Working with Children Clearance is required. The school checks their Working with Children Clearance on the WWC status checker(opens in a new window) before they volunteer for the fete.
Connect
Record
  • For volunteers doing child-related work:
    • the school records on WWC Connect when each volunteer starts and stops doing child-related work within 21 days.
  • For volunteers doing child-connected work:
  • Because all the volunteers only support the school on the date of the fete, the start day and finish day would be the same date.
Maintain

The school records the details of the volunteers, including any screening information on the school’s register. They use the register template from the School Policy Templates Portal: Working with Children Clearance procedure and register (staff login required)(opens in a new window).

Visitor doing child-connected work

Example: a tradesperson visits the school to fix a photocopier.

  • The tradesperson is a visitor. They are doing child-connected work. Any interaction with students would be incidental to their role repairing the photocopier.
  • Working with Children Clearances are only required for child-related work.
  • The principal determines that a Working with Children Clearance is not required because the tradesperson:
    • will not visit the school regularly
    • will only be on site for a short period of time
    • will not interact with students.
  • The details of the tradesperson must be recorded on the school’s local visitors register. This may include Working with Children Clearance details if they are presented or requested.
  • Schools are required to maintain a record of the tradesperson visit for 7 years on their local visitor register.

Example: the school engages a gardener to maintain the school grounds.

  • The gardener is a visitor to the school.
  • The gardener is undertaking child-connected work, not child-related work.
  • The school determines that the work is child-connected work because:
    • the work is authorised by the school governing authority
    • the work is being done by an adult in a school setting
    • children are present or reasonably expected to be present
    • the gardener is not having direct contact with children as part of their usual duties.
  • The school can choose either in their school policy or on a case-by-case basis to request evidence of a Working with Children Clearance for the gardener.
  • The principal determines that a Working with Children Clearance is required because the gardener:
    • visits the school regularly while students are present
    • may have incidental contact with students.
  • The gardener provides their Working with Children Clearance.
  • The school undertakes a Working with Children Clearance check via the WWC status checker(opens in a new window). If the gardener gives their consent, the school can then connect the gardener to the school using WWC Connect(opens in a new window). Schools can seek consent using the Consent form – Connecting your Working with Children Clearance to our school (DOCX)(opens in a new window).
  • Schools may choose to record in WWC Connect when the gardener starts and stops the child-connected work within 21 days.
  • The details of the gardener must be recorded on the school’s local visitors register. They use the register template from the School Policy Templates Portal: Working with Children Clearance procedure and register (staff login required)(opens in a new window). This may include Working with Children Clearance details if they are presented or requested.
  • Schools are required to maintain a record of the gardeners visit for 7 years on the school’s local visitor register.
This guidance assists schools in determining whether a volunteer or a visitor requires a Working with Children Check and/or other form of suitability check

Updated

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