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Working with Children Check
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Dear Member,
As advertised widely, Life
Saving Victoria policy requires:
“All active LSV members (over 18) to have a Working With
Children Check (WWCC) by mid-2009, and beyond mid-2009 all LSV members
(over 18) to complete a WWCC prior to confirmation of membership
application.
There are no
exemptions under this policy and includes members whose professions require
a police check for employment purposes including teachers and
Police.”
For those of you who
already have a WWCC with another organization there is a short form to
complete to allow LSV and our Club to be included on your check details.
You can download the form here now !
For those using this form,
you need to be careful when listing the organisations (in Section 4), to
include ALL the organisations that you are involved with, (both old and
new) as the list of organisations is ‘overwritten’ with the new
organisations.
Guidelines for
completing forms:
Details of Child-Related Work
11. List the area(s)…
Use the following codes:
10
(overnight camps)
70
(clubs and organizations) … (In
Section D)
Details of Organization/s
12. Which
organization(s)… (In Section E)
Name of Primary
Organization: Insert details for Life Saving Victoria
LIFE SAVING VICTORIA
200 THE BOULEVARD
PORT MELBOURNE
VIC 3207
9676 6930
Name of other
Organization: Insert details for your club, ie
POINT LONSDALE SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB INC
54 OCEAN ROAD
POINT LONSDALE VIC 3225
5258 1257
Completed Application Forms
can be lodged at any ‘major’ Australia Post office, where
Application Forms can also be obtained, and there is no charge to you as
this is a voluntary organization. At some Post Offices (eg. Queenscliff)
you can only lodge the form, whereas at others (eg. Ocean Grove) you can
have your passport photo taken and lodge the form). At smaller Post Offices
(eg. Point Lonsdale) you cannot lodge your form.
Once you receive your card
there is no further action as the club will receive a copy of your WWCC.
Download LSV Circular (Working With Children Checks – 2008
Update) : 105:09:08
The following
information has been supplied from the Working with Children Check, General
Information Sheet, issued by the by the Department of Justice, Victoria. (2008).
What
is the Check?
The
Working with Children (WWC) Check is designed to help keep children safe.
The Check was introduced in Victoria
in 2006 and aims to prevent people who may pose a risk to the safety of
children from working with them. People who work or volunteer in connection
with certain services, bodies, places or activities are required to apply
for a WWC Check.
How is the WWC Check different from a police
records check?
Unlike a police records check, the WWC Check
considers certain offences and is valid for five years (unless revoked). During
this period, cardholders continue to be checked for new offences or
disciplinary findings by prescribed professional bodies.
Do I need a WWC Check?
You may need a WWC Check if:
• you are working in paid
or unpaid (volunteer) work, and
• your work is in
connection with one of the services, bodies, places or activities listed in
the phasing-in plan, and
• your work usually
involves, or is likely to usually involve, regular and direct contact with
a child where the contact is not directly supervised by another person.
If you answer “Yes” to each of
the statements above, you are doing ‘child-related work’. Some
exemptions apply. It is your responsibility
to find out if you need a WWC Check.
When do I need to apply?
Each year, certain services, bodies, activities
and places are phased in. The WWC Check is being phased in until 2011.
If you need to apply for a WWC Check and you
work or volunteer in connection with the following sport
or recreational activities, you need to apply
by 30 June 2009:
• Athletics (including
Little Athletics)
• Basketball
• Cricket
• Football (Australian
Rules)
• Football (Soccer)
• Gymnastics (including
Trampolining)
• Martial arts
• Netball
• Swimming (including Lifesaving)
• Tennis
What if I don’t apply?
It is a criminal offence for
you to start or continue ‘child-related work’ without having
applied for a WWC Check if the service, body, place or activity that your
work is in connection with, has been phased in.
It will also be an offence
for your employer or volunteer organisation to engage you in child elated
work.
How do I apply?
1. Obtain an Application
Guide and Form from a participating Australia Post outlet (visit
www.auspost.com.au for your nearest outlet)
2. Complete the Application
Form attached to the Application Guide
3. Submit your application,
together with your proof of identity documents, a passport-sized photo, and
the application fee (if required) to a participating Australia Post outlet.
You can start or continue
child-related work once you have lodged your application. You will need to
show your receipt to your employer or volunteer organisation as proof you
have applied for a WWC Check.
How much will it cost?
Applying for a WWC Check is
free for volunteers and $73.90 for paid workers*. A volunteer WWC
Check cannot be used for
paid child-related work. An employee WWC Check can be used for both paid
and volunteer child-related work. *Fees change annually on 1 July. Please
check the website or contact the Information Line for the current fee.
What is checked?
• Broadly, applications will be checked for serious sexual,
serious violent and serious drug-related offences. A checklist of offences
is available on the web site or by calling the Information Line.
• Currently professional disciplinary findings from the
Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) and Suitability Panel are also
considered. In future, other professional bodies may be considered.
If you do not have a
criminal record, and no professional disciplinary findings have been made
against you, you will pass the WWC Check.
How will I know that I have
passed the WWC Check?
People who pass the WWC
Check will be sent an Assessment Notice from the Department of Justice and
a WWC Check Card will be sent separately in the mail. Your employer or
volunteer organisation must
make sure you have passed
the WWC Check and may ask to see your Assessment Notice or WWC
Check Card as proof.
Can I still pass the WWC
Check if I have a criminal history or a professional disciplinary finding?
The outcome will depend on
the type of finding made or the offence, and the circumstances
surrounding it. Not all
offences and findings are considered to indicate a risk to the safety of
children. You may wish to contact the Information Line to discuss your
personal circumstances. People who are subject to sex offender reporting
requirements are not permitted to work with children or apply for a WWC
Check.
What happens if I
don’t pass the WWC Check?
Before the Department of Justice
makes a final decision to refuse a WWC Check, you will be given an
opportunity to make a submission explaining why you believe you should pass
the Check. Your submission will then be considered by the Department of
Justice.
If you do not pass the WWC
Check after your submission has been considered, you will then be
issued with a Negative
Notice. If you are issued with a Negative Notice you cannot perform child
related
work. In most cases you may
apply to Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for an
Assessment Notice to be granted.
How will my privacy be
protected?
The Department of Justice,
employers and volunteer organisations are bound by privacy and
confidentiality laws. Your employer or volunteer organisation (where known)
will be notified of the outcome of your application, and if your WWC Check
is revoked. The details of any criminal records or findings from a
professional disciplinary body will not be provided to your employer or
volunteer
organisation.
Further information
Additional information is
available from:
Website
www.justice.vic.gov.au/workingwithchildren
Email
workingwithchildren@justice.vic.gov.au
Information Line 1300 652
879
8:30am–5pm (EST)
Monday–Friday (excluding public holidays)
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