Working with Children Check Policy

1. Policy Statement

  1. Camp Quality is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people who access our programs, services and events.
  2. Camp Quality is committed to maintaining and improving our policies, procedures, and practices to safeguard children and young people from neglect and abuse.
  3. Responsibility for maintaining and improving our policies and procedures is assigned to the Risk, Safety & Compliance Manager.
  4. We monitor our employees, volunteers and external providers to ensure appropriate practice, behaviour, and policies are followed.
  5. All Camp Quality personnel, including volunteers, are required to hold and maintain a Working with Children Check (‘WWCC’) and disclose convictions or charges affecting their suitability to work with children and young people.
  6. WWCC records are regularly monitored to ensure currency is maintained.

2. Definitions

  1. Working With Children Check: a National Police Check (criminal history record) and a review of reportable workplace misconduct.

3. Responsibilities and Delegations

  1. Board of Directors
    1. Legally responsible for ensuring appropriate policies and practices are in place to minimise the risk of child abuse.
    2. Required to understand and act in line with Camp Quality’s policies and guidelines.
    3. Required to promote best practice in Safeguarding Children and Young People and promptly respond to any advice received from any State/Territory child protection authority or the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF).
    4. In conjunction with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Required to understand and act in line with Camp Quality’s policies and guidelines.
    5. Required to promote safeguarding children and young people and promptly respond to any changes to legislation or advice received from any State/Territory child protection authority or the ACF. Also, responsible for ensuring changes are brought to the attention of the Board promptly.
    6. Ensure that access to training and development and emotional support (access to an independent counsellor) is provided to employees and volunteers.
  2. The Risk, Safety & Compliance Manager is Camp Quality’s Child Protection Officer (‘CPO’). The CPO is required to:
    1. understand and act in line with Camp Quality’s policies and guidelines, including reporting any suspected child abuse to the relevant State/Territory child protection authority, police department and/or the ACF (whether the incident occurred at a Camp Quality event, or the accused is associated directly with Camp Quality).
    2. fully cooperate with all relevant State/Territory child protection authorities or other recognised bodies in their investigations of suspected child abuse.
    3. ensure the Camp Quality Safety and Child Protection Hotline is answered promptly every time (1800 CQ SAFE 1800 277 233).
  3. Line Managers and other personnel with delegated authority to recruit are required to be:
    1. responsible for recruiting employees in line with safeguarding children and young people-related policies and ensuring personnel comply with such policies; and
    2. responsible for ensuring the recruitment of volunteers is in line with safeguarding children and young people-related policies and the Volunteer Recruitment Policy and the Recruitment Matrix.
  4. Employees and Volunteers are required to:
    1. understand, act in line with and promote Camp Quality’s safeguarding children and young people policies and guidelines.
    2. disclose any criminal convictions to Camp Quality prior to their appointment to the organisation whilst also disclosing any subsequent convictions after their appointment to Camp Quality; and
    3. ensure their WWCC remains current, valid and connected to Camp Quality (where possible) in the relevant state / territory and update where required.
    4.  notify Camp Quality’s People & Culture team immediately if they become aware of any current employees / volunteers charged with criminal convictions relating to children and / or a negative WWCC

4. Policy Practice and Procedure

  1. Legislation
    1. Each state/territory in Australia has different child protection screening procedures for WWCC and authorities. Refer to the National Working with Children Process Directory for the relevant state/territory legislation and procedure (see Annexure 1).
    2. Any applicant who has resided in an overseas country for 12 months or more in the last ten years may be required to contact the relevant overseas police force to obtain a criminal or police record check.
    3. All employees must apply for the relevant screening procedure before commencing their employment. Employees cannot attend a program, with children present, until the relevant screening procedure has been successfully completed.
    4. All volunteers must complete the relevant screening procedure as detailed in the Safeguarding Children and Young People – Requirements Matrix, before commencing any involvement with Camp Quality. Volunteers cannot attend a program or event until the relevant screening procedure has been successfully completed.
    5. For all fundraising events or campaigns run by Camp Quality which include school visits, participants must complete the relevant screening procedures 30 days prior to the commencement of the event.
    6. All employees and volunteers are required to keep their relevant state/territory check current, valid and connected to Camp Quality (where possible) throughout their employment or involvement.
    7. Screening must be completed in the state/territory that the employee or volunteer resides in, not the Camp Quality office they are associated with. For example, a volunteer who lives in Northern NSW, but participates in camps in Queensland, will complete the NSW WWCC.
    8. Volunteers may support programs in other states/territories if they have a current WWCC in their own state/territory and are following the state/territory cross jurisdiction requirements.
    9. Failure of an employee or volunteer to keep their WWCC current, may result in disciplinary action.

5. Maintaining Records

  1. In accordance with the Privacy Policy, confidential information will be stored securely electronically.
    1. Employee records: The People & Culture team is responsible for the maintenance and secure storage of employees’ WWCCs.
    2. Volunteer records: The Volunteer team is responsible for the maintenance of volunteers and secure storage of volunteers’ WWCCs.

6. Auditing

  1. The People & Culture Business Partners and National Volunteer Advisor are responsible for conducting regular audits of employees’ and volunteers’ WWCCs respectively. Any instances of non-compliance is addressed as a matter of urgency.
  2. Non-compliance relating to the maintenance of employee or volunteer WWCC records may result in disciplinary action.

7. Inconclusive Screening

  1. In the event a WWCC is returned with results other than clear validation the employee / volunteer can work with children, the matter is immediately escalated to the General Manager – People & Culture for direction.

8. Prohibited Person Declaration

  1. Camp Quality will not engage any person as an employee or volunteer, in any capacity, if they are unable to obtain a valid WWCC.
  2. Camp Quality will suspend engagement with any person as an employee or volunteer, in any capacity, during the period when their WWCC has expired and obtaining a new valid WWCC.
  3. Camp Quality will cease engagement with any employee or volunteer if they are identified as a ‘prohibited person’ for the purposes of maintaining a WWCC, at any time during their engagement.

9. Monitoring and review

  1. Camp Quality is committed to maintaining and improving its policies, procedures and practices.
  2. This document is reviewed by the Risk and Safety Committee in accordance with Camp Quality’s policy review schedule, in the event of any legislative changes or best practice developments.
  3. Any updates or changes to this policy, are communicated to all employees and volunteers.

Updated July 2024

 

Annexure 1 – Working with Children (WWC) Process Directory

VIC

  • Name of check: WWC Check
  • Connected to CQ: Yes, employees/volunteers must add Camp Quality to their MyCheck Account
  • Card Validity / Cost: 5 years. Volunteers – free; Employees; $126.50
  • Renewal: Can be done 6 months prior and 3 months after expiry date
  • Application: To be used for those who do not hold a current WWC or it is outside the renewal period
  • Volunteering from another state: You can volunteer for a maximum of 30 days per year if from another state and hold a WWC in that state

WA

  • Name of check: WWC Check
  • Connected to CQ: Yes, employees/volunteers are registered to Camp Quality if they have an existing WWC Card
  • Card Validity/ Cost: 3 years. Volunteers – $11; Employees – $87
  • Renewal: Can be done 3 months prior. Applicants must select Category 15 and include a CQ employees details on their renewal
  • Application: New applications or if a card has expired must be done via a paper form, signed by a CQ representative. Paper forms are in the WA office and must be taken to an authorised Australia Post outlet.
  • Volunteering from another state: You can volunteer for a maximum of 14 days per year if from another state.

QLD

  • Name of check: Blue Card
  • Connected to CQ: Yes, employees/volunteers need to be added to the Blue Card Portal
  • Card Validity/ Cost: 3 years. Volunteers – Free; Employees – $93.95
  • Verify: Verification is done online via the Blue Card Portal
  • Renewal: Can be done 3 months prior
  • Application: Same as renewal. All applications are now done online.
  • Volunteering from another state: You can volunteer for a maximum of 7 days per year without a Blue Card. Blue Card services does not recognise interstate WWC Checks.

NSW

  • Name of check: WWC Check
  • Connected to CQ: No, the status must be verified online however they’re not connected to Camp Quality
  • Card Validity / Cost: 5 years. Volunteers – Free; Employees – $80
  • Verify: A login is required
  • Renewal: Can be done 3 months prior
  • Application: To be used for new applicants only and must be taken to an authorised Service NSW location
  • Volunteering from another state: You can volunteer for a maximum of 30 days per year if from another state.

TAS

  • Name of check: Work with Vulnerable People Check
  • Connected to CQ: Yes, employees/volunteers must select Camp Quality when they apply
  • Card Validity/ Cost: 3 years. Volunteers – $19.44; Employees – $113.40
  • Renewal: Can be done 30 days and 30 days after expiry date
  • Volunteering from another state: You can volunteer for a maximum of 28 days per year if from another state and hold a WWC in that state

ACT

  • Name of check: Working with Vulnerable People Check
  • Connected to CQ: No, not connected to Camp Quality
  • Card Validity/ Cost: 5 years (as of 2021). Volunteers – free; Employees – $135
  • Verify: Currently no option to verify. Employee/volunteer must supply a copy of clearance
  • Application: Applications to be taken to an Access Canberra Service Centre
  • Volunteering from another state: No information stated.

SA

  • Name of check: WWC Check
  • Connected to CQ: Yes, employees/volunteers are registered on the OHS Screening Portal.
  • Card Validity/ Cost: 5 years. Volunteers – free; Employees – $115.50
  • Renewal: Can be done 6 months prior
  • Application: Same as renewal. All applications can be done online.
  • Volunteering from another state: You can volunteer for a maximum of 10 consecutive days per year if from another state and hold a WWC in that state

NT

  • Name of check: Ochre Card
  • Connected to CQ: Yes, the application must be signed by a CQ employee
  • Card Validity/ Cost: 2 years. Volunteers – $7; Employees – $72
  • Verify: Currently no option to verify. Employee/volunteer must supply copy of clearance
  • Volunteering from another state: You can volunteer for a maximum of 14 days per year if from another state.