Child safeguarding in creative workplaces includes preventing harm or abuse caused by anyone working with children or young people. One important preventative action is screening (checking) workers and volunteers who will or might work with children or young people. 

Creative businesses and organisations need to:

• Understand the rules that apply in your state or territory
• Check (screen) all types of workers — paid and unpaid, including employees, independent contractors and volunteers.
• Check (screen) workers before they do any work where they may engage with children or young people.
• Keep your checks (screening) up-to-date, and keep records.

What to check

When screening (checking) workers who will or might work with children: 

• Check that they:
  • have a valid Working With Children Check (WWCC) or equivalent or
  • is exempt from the requirement to hold a WWCC (or equivalent) or
  • have applied for a WWCC (or equivalent) and is legally permitted to work with children while their application is being processed.
• If required in your state or territory, check that they have registered your business or organisation in connection with their WWCC (or equivalent). Do this before they start working with children at your organisation.
• Verify their personal identity information. For example, sight and keep a copy of their photo identification.
• Verify any relevant professional qualifications. For example, sight and keep a copy of official records of completion of qualifications.

Organisations and businesses can also: 

• Carefully examine a person’s suitability to work with children. Make enquiries about any history of work involving children. Make enquiries about any unusual gaps in their work history.
• Do reference checks, especially if the worker may be involved in overnight stays or engage with children and young people in other high risk environments.  

Keeping records

Organisations and businesses need to keep records of their screening (checking), including:

• the date of your checks
• the documents you checked
• the expiry date of any WWCC (or equivalent) and other relevant qualification that relates to child safety and requires renewal.

Make sure you:

• Keep information about your worker and their WWCC (or equivalent) up-to-date.
• Record the date of your checks and the documents you checked.
• Keep track of when WWCC (or equivalent) clearances are due to expire.
• Make sure they are renewed before the expire.
• Keep equivalent records of any other qualifications that relate to child safety that requires renewal.

Learn more about employee records.

Rules in each state and territory 

For detailed information about the checks required where you are: 

• Victoria — Working with Children Check
• New South Wales — Working with Children Check
• Queensland — Blue Card Services
• Australian Capital Territory — Working with Vulnerable People Scheme
• Northern Territory — Working with Children Clearance
• South Australia — Working with Children Checks
• Tasmania — Registration to work with vulnerable people
• Western Australia — Working with children check 

This overview of screening checks from the Australian Institute of Family Studies summarises the requirements in each state and territory.  

Interstate work and volunteering

Working with Children Checks (WWCCs) and/or Working with Vulnerable Persons Checks are not transferable between states and territories. 

Organisations or individuals who work or volunteer with children across state or territory boundaries need to hold the appropriate clearance checks for the place they are working in. 

Exemptions for brief periods

Except for Queensland, visitors who already have a valid check from their home state or territory can usually work interstate for a brief time without getting a new one. 

Be sure to check with the state or territory you are visiting to find out what rules apply.