Working With Children Check

The Working With Children Check (WWCC) is an Australian background check requirement, assessing the criminal record of those working or volunteering in child-related work. The check is known as the WWCC (or WWC) in most states and territories. The equivalent check in Queensland is known as a "Blue Card." In the ACT, the equivalent check is known as the Working with Vulnerable People registration.

In Australia, the Working With Children Check is legislated by each state and territory for the purpose of conducting background checks for people seeking to engage in child-related work. These checks aim to prevent people from working or volunteering with children if records indicate that they may pose an unacceptable level of risk to children. While the check is currently conducted on a state level, an Australian government royal commission has called for the transition to a nationwide check. At the same time, some researchers have questioned the effectiveness of a nationwide approach, citing advantages of the particular state scheme developments.

In Australia, this form of pre-employment screening for child-related work began in 2000, when the state of New South Wales introduced its Working With Children Check scheme. Since then, every state and territory has established some form of the scheme. Each of the eight state and territory children check schemes operate independently of each other.

In 2016, South Australia announced it would be switching from a model of criminal background checks to a WWCC model, following a recent royal commission report.

In New South Wales, since changes to the WWCC system in 2013, about 1,800 people have been barred from working with children in the state.

In NSW, the application process involves registering online with the Office of the Children's Guardian, and bringing 100 points of ID to a Service NSW centre. The verification is subsequently emailed to the individual, however, the employer is required to verify the check online as well.

Employers of child-related services need access and update the online WWC system with their current employees to include the Working With Children (WWC) number of each child-related employee. This means that technically if there is an adverse finding in the future, an employer could theoretically be notified, however there is no official requirement to do so, on the contrary, there is concern that lack of coordination between states may allow some adverse issues slip through. According to Working With Children NSW, if the verification result is CLEARED or APPLICATION IN PROGRESS, the worker may commence child-related work. If the verification result is NOT FOUND, EXPIRED, INTERIM BARRED or BARRED, the employer must not employ the worker for child-related work and it is a criminal offence to do so.

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