Child Protection

New South Wales has been at the forefront of introducing laws to reduce the chances of unsuitable people working with children – in either paid positions or as volunteers. This important work is spearheaded through the NSW Commission For Children and Young People.

These laws have introduced the Working With Children Check. As part of the Working With Children Check, volunteers who work unsupervised with children must be asked by their employer to sign a form that says they have not been convicted of any crime that may prohibit them from working with children (for example, serious sex offences).

The Working With Children Check also allows people to be checked for:

• National criminal records
• Relevant completed disciplinary proceedings
• Relevant apprehended violence orders

In addition to background checks, overseas experience has shown that there are a number of best practices that help make environments safer for children. These include:

• Clear job descriptions
• Formal referee checks
• Policies on how to respond to allegations of child abuse
• Appropriate training and supervision.

Find out more information about best practices that help to create a friendly and child safe organisation.

By implementing all the steps to a safer workplace, kids will be safer and organisations will feel confident that they are reducing the risk of unsuitable people harming children.