NEW SOUTH WALES
Working with Children Check (WWCC)
The WWCC is a small, yet important part of how to keep children safe within your organisation.
Who needs a WWCC?
All workers who are engaged in activities or services aimed at children are required to hold a valid WWCC unless they are captured by an exemption. For example, if you are a parent or close family relative who is volunteering in connection with an activity or program that the child is participating in, you are exempt from holding a clearance. An exception to the above is when volunteering at an overnight camp for children; in this instance, a WWCC is required.
Workers who require a WWCC include coaches, assistant coaches and team managers within a sport and recreation setting.
Verifying a Working with Children Check
Verification of your workers’ WWCC is an important process, as this gives you an up-to-date status of a worker’s WWCC, and creates a link between your organisation, the worker, and the Office of the Children’s Guardian, allowing us to notify you if one of your worker’s status changes. Verification is the only way you can know if a person is currently cleared to work with children.
For a club or sporting organisation, the process should look like this:
Step 1: Determine whether your club has any child-related workers or volunteers and consider whether exemptions apply. If everyone working with children has an exemption, your club does not need to take further steps, but ensure you repeat Step 1 whenever you have a change in personnel.
Step 2: Register your club as an employer of child-related workers (paid or unpaid). you only need Step 2 if your workers or volunteers aren't covered by exemptions.
Step 3: Collect the Working with Children Check numbers of all child-related workers or volunteers at your club.
Step 4: Verify the Working with Children Check numbers of all child-related workers or volunteers at your club.
Step 5: Keep records of all verifications including WWCC number, expiration date and verification date
Further information on the Working with Children Check can be found here - www.ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check
NSW Child Safe Scheme
From the 1 February 2022, the 10 Child Safe Scheme came into effect in NSW. To see the Children’s Guardian Janet Schorer’s message announcing it click the link: www.ocg.nsw.gov.au/about-us/news/new-scheme-will-keep-children-safer-in-nsw
The NSW Office of Sport and the Office of the Children’s Guardian together developed a new eLearning course specifically for the Sport and Recreation sector. Module 1 is now available and is targeted for all staff within Sport and Recreation organisations. It is also good for parents to understand what their clubs should be doing – www.ocg.nsw.gov.au/training-and-resources/elearning.
Most people will only need to do Module 1, but if you need more advanced information on policy writing, leadership, managing people, risk, or reporting, there are more modules.
Animation explaining the 10 Standards
Further Resources
Developing key policies and practices in your organisation help create a child safe culture. To help you with this, the Office of the Children's Guardian has developed The Guide to the Child Safe Standards and other resources: www.ocg.nsw.gov.au/our-resources
The Office of the Children’s Guardian provides free training sessions to child related organisations to help them learn how to become child safe. To register your interest in training or attend a session, click the following link - www.ocg.nsw.gov.au/child-safe-organisations/training-and-resources/webinars-and-face-to-face-training.
The Office of Sport also offers free member protection information officer training and Child Safe Sport training that aligns with the 10 Child Safe Standards. These training sessions are designed to provide sporting clubs and organisations with practical advice. To register, click the following link: www.sport.nsw.gov.au/events/training
To support your clubs understanding of the Child Safe Standards we have developed the following media kit: Child Safe Standards media kit - NSW Office of the Children's Guardian
Updated: April 2022
