Working With Children
Who needs a Working With Children Check?
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A Working With Children Check is a prerequisite for anyone in child-related work. It involves a national criminal history check and review of findings of workplace misconduct.
The result of a Working With Children Check is either a clearance to work with children for five years, or a bar against working with children. Cleared applicants are subject to ongoing monitoring, and relevant new records may lead to the clearance being revoked.
The Check is fully portable which means it can be used for any paid or unpaid child-related work in NSW for as long as the worker remains cleared.
The Working with Children check is free for volunteers
The Working With Children Check is a prerequisite for paid and unpaid child-related work. Under Part 2, section 6 of the Child Protection (Working With Children) Act 2012, child-related work is defined as work in a specific, child-related role or face-to-face contact with children in a child-related sector. Additional roles are identified in the Child Protection (Working with Children) Regulation 2013.
Child-related sectors
If you have face-to-face contact with children and work in one of these industry sectors, you must apply for a Check:
- Child development and family welfare services
- Child protection
- Children’s health services
- Clubs or other bodies providing services for children
- Disability services
- Early education and child care
- Education
- Entertainment for children
- Justice centres
- Religious services
- Residential services
- Transport services for children
- Youth workers
- School cleaners
