Changes in law for Working With Children Check (WWCC)

Dear Yogis,

Jai Shri Mataji!

As a registered organisation, we have received the following advice from the Children’s Guardian Office which they have asked us to pass on to you.

It is basically very simple, in that every member is required to keep their WWCC details up to date, that is, if you change your name or address etc. It is really easy to do online, see below. If you don’t have access to a computer, you can be helped at the Saturday program.

Online form to change your WWCC details

The online Application form to change your NSW Working With Children Check registration details is located here.

Note from the Children’s Guardian Office.

“It is important that everyone in your organisation knows the new requirement to keep their personal details up to date. Please be aware that employers (which include organisations using volunteers to work with children) can now be fined if they don’t verify that their workers or volunteers have a Check or have applied for one. One of the strengths of the NSW system is that it is underpinned by an ongoing, continuous check.”

In Sahaja Yoga, our WWCC officers work hard to make the process as easy as possible for you. Our roles were established to keep them separate from the Coordinators and Trustees roles and we work under the Legal Compliance Team.Please see the related information from the Children’s Guardian Office’s website below. The dot point that affects you has been highlighted.

Legislation changes for working with children

There have been recent legislative changes around the Working With Children Check that impact all people who work with children in both paid and voluntary roles and the organisations employing them.
A full list of the changes is on our website with an explanation of what the changes will mean. The main changes are:

a requirement for people to keep their personal details up to date or risk a penalty.
employers are required to verify that their child-related workers have a WWCC and keep records or risk a fine.
a Working With Children Check is required for all parent volunteers attending overnight kids camps, with their own child.

It is important that everyone in your organisation knows the new requirement to keep their personal details up to date.

Please be aware that employers (which include organisations using volunteers to work with children) can now be fined if they don’t verify that their workers or volunteers have a Check or have applied for one.
One of the strengths of the NSW system is that it is underpinned by an ongoing, continuous check. By registering and verifying, employers can be contacted by the Office of the Children’s Guardian should anyone become barred through the continuous monitoring process. Fines for not verifying will apply to every organisation where people work with kids or volunteer with kids.

Finally, all parent volunteers on kids’ overnight camps with their child now need a Check which means whoever is the camp organiser, also needs to verify them.

The Working With Children Check legally prevents people who pose a risk from working with children but it’s not enough on its own. Organisations, through their people, need to build a child safe culture with policies and procedures in place to make their organisation safe for kids.

For more information check our website where there is a list of all of the legislative changes with explanations of what each change means and you can also find resources for building a child-safe environment.

Children’s Guardian Office’s website