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Employers and Volunteer Coordinators: Important Points

  1. The WWC Check is only valid in Western Australia. Other States have their own legislation and criminal record checking procedures.
  2. The WWC Check is different to the National Police Check. Find out how.
  3. You can start someone in child-related work without a WWC Card so long as they apply on starting.
  4. You can accept an Australia Post receipt of application as proof someone has applied. Some people may already have a WWC Card because they have already applied in a previous job.
  5. If a person already has a valid WWC Card they DO NOT need to re-apply for a WWC Card when commencing another position, however you should check the validity of their WWC Card when they start.
  6. A WWC Card is transferable across all categories of child-related work for paid or volunteer employment. It is the same for paid and volunteer employees, there are just different fees associated with the application. However if a person has more than one 'child-related' role in both paid and volutary or unpaid work, they must apply for or renew their WWC Check as a paid person and pay the higher fee. 
  7. When deciding who in your organisation needs a WWC Check you must determine if the person’s usual duties of work involve or is likely to involve contact with a child in connection with at least one of the categories of child-related work.
  8. There are a number of exemptions under the WWC legislation. For example, parent volunteers may be exempt under certain categories of child-related work and must not apply, unless they undertake other child-related work. See ‘Factsheet 5: Child-related work and Exemptions’ for a full list of exemptions.
  9. The WWC legislation does not allow the WWC Screening Unit to undertake criminal record checking of people who are not in child-related work and those who are exempt.
  10. Organisations and employers must not provide false or misleading information to the WWC Screening Unit.
  11. The WWC legislation is only one part of a whole of community approach to child protection in our society.