Working With Children Checks for schools in Australia

A WWCC is a screening for adults who work or volunteer with children. It looks at criminal records and, in some states, at findings from workplace or regulator inquiries.

There is no single national check. Each state and territory runs its own scheme under its own law. A check from one state does not always cover work in another.

The check is ongoing. If new records appear, the state agency can suspend or cancel it and tell the linked employers.

The Working With Children Check forms a fundamental element of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. Passing a WWCC is a mandatory legal prerequisite before any person begins direct engagement with children in an Australian school.

In New South Wales, the Office of the Children's Guardian runs the WWCC. A clearance lasts five years, and employers must verify it online.

In Victoria, the Working with Children Check lasts five years. Registered teachers use their teacher registration instead, since the Victorian Institute of Teaching screens them.

In Queensland, the scheme is called the blue card. Other states have their own names, such as the Ochre Card in the Northern Territory.

• NSW: WWCC from the Office of the Children's Guardian.
• Victoria: WWC Check, or teacher registration for teachers.
• Queensland: Blue card from Blue Card Services.
• Other states: Check the local agency for the name and rules.

Do not accept a photo of a card as proof. Use the state online tool to confirm the number, name and status before the start date.

Verification must occur prior to the worker's first day on campus. Retain an audit trail confirming the verification date, the full clearance number, the surname matching the card and the internal staff reviewer.

In many states, the school must also link itself as the employer. This means the agency can alert the school if the status changes.

Log the date of the online check and the name of the staff member who ran it. Keep a short note of the result, not a full copy.

Australian child safe standards mandate that screening extends beyond permanent teachers to anyone engaged in child-related work.

Regular parent volunteers who help on overnight camps, sports coaching or reading programs require a volunteer WWCC clearance before attending campus.

Independent school board members and external third-party contractors who have direct contact with students must also provide verified checks.

• Parent volunteers: Screen volunteers who have regular unsupervised pupil contact.
• Contractors: Verify WWCC numbers for facilities and catering contractors on site.
• Coaches and tutors: Demand verified clearances for sports and instrumental music tutors.
• Visitors: Ensure unvetted campus visitors remain escorted by school staff at all times.

State screening agencies conduct continuous monitoring of cleared individuals. If a cleared person is charged with a disqualifying offence, the agency issues an interim bar or negative notice.

Schools linked to the individual in the online verification portal receive immediate notification. The school must remove the person from child-related work immediately.

Every school must establish an emergency protocol for managing sudden status suspensions, ensuring student protection while maintaining procedural fairness.

• Immediate removal: Suspend the individual from child-facing duties without delay.
• Employer notification: Document the time and date when the agency notice arrived.
• Leadership escalation: Brief the principal and school governing board immediately.
• Confidential handling: Protect the privacy of the individual while managing safety.

Most checks expire after a set number of years. A lapsed check can mean a staff member is working unlawfully with children.

Set reminders well before each expiry date. Our single central record tracker guide shows how to track dates in one place.

Run a check of all records each term. Look for staff who moved states, changed names or started new roles.

A WWCC mostly draws on Australian records. It may say little about time spent living in other countries.

For staff who lived abroad, collect police certificates from each country where they lived as adults. See our guide to overseas criminal record checks.

Staff who taught in the UK may hold an Enhanced DBS check. Treat it as extra evidence, never as a swap for a WWCC.

Australian independent schools should set clear written policies for verifying international criminal records before overseas educators enter a classroom.