Child Safe Environments

Child Safe Environments

Ensuring the next generation is safe

Everyone involved in a recreation group or sporting club has a responsibility to care and protect any children (those under the age of 18 years of age) who participate in their club activities.


AU Sport is committed to the safety and well being of all young people and children accessing our services or our clubs, and all AU Sport clubs are required to address the issue around Child Safe Environments either by meeting the requirements of their State Sporting Organisation (SSO) or AU Sport. The Children’s Protection Act 1993 makes it a legal requirement for certain people to report a reasonable suspicion or incidences of abuse or neglect. This obligation is known as mandatory notification and a penalty may stem from an individual’s failure to comply. Notifications must be made to Families SA Child Abuse Report Line on 13 14 78.

Mandated notifiers are an employer of, or volunteer in, a government or non-government organisation that provides health, welfare, education, sporting or recreational, child care or residential services wholly or partly for children.
 

Working with Children Checks

From 2019, National Police Checks are no longer to be used as a means to check someone's suitability to work with children. Department of Human Services (DHS) is now responsible for managing these screenings. AU Sport is a registered organisation with DHS and can provide approved Club members who require a background check to fill a volunteer role at the club, a free screening. 

Please note:

  • The screening will be valid for 5 years
  • The screening will have real time monitoring
  • An organisation will not be able to engage a person who has been identified as prohibited to work with children in a prescribed position OR a person who has been assessed as a prohibited person will not be permitted to work with children
  • Individuals will be responsible for completing their application to obtain their own WWCC Unique identifier number and it will be transferable across organisations
  • Organisations will be required to verify that a person, who presents their working with Children unique number, is who they say they are and will notify the DHS Screening Unit when this person is engaged in a prescribed position
  • The Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016 will significantly change the manner in which screening for persons undertaking child-related work is managed and performed.
  • Time frame of application is expected to be between 3 – 6 weeks depending on demand
  • A Police clearance for working with children is no longer allowed.

AU Sport must log your application with the DHS Unit and information below steps out the requirements of the Club and the individual.

Step by step process:

  1. Clubs provide Club volunteers, who need a 'Working with Children Check',  with the required information about starting the process

  2. The individual submits their information to AU Sport via the online application

  3. AU Sport staff will lodge the individual's application with the DHS Unit

  4. The DHS Unit contacts the individual who then completes their application

  5. DHS Unit conducts its final assessments

 

Resources

AU Sport Child Safe Environment Policy
AU Sport WWCC Online Submission Form
 

Additional Resources:

Department of Human Services
Child Safe Environments, Office for Recreation and Sport
Play by the Rules