The Vulnerable Children Act 2014 has now been passed. As part of this safety checks are required to be carried out by organisations for any ‘Children’s Worker’s’ they employ or otherwise engage. These need to be re-checked for those people every 3 years.
The timeline for introducing checks is:
- From 1 July 2015 all new 'core workers' must be safety checked before their employment or engagement commences. A 'core worker' is a children's worker who, in the course of their work, will be alone with children or has primary responsibility for, or authority over, children.
- From 1 July 2016 all new children's workers (core and non-core) must be safety checked before their employment or engagement commences.
- By 1 July 2018 all existing core workers must be safety checked.
- By 1 July 2019 all existing children's workers (core and non-core) must be safety checked.
The Act covers all State Services and all organisations that they fund to provide 'regulated services' (including those that only receive partial or indirect funding). A 'children's worker' includes anyone whose work involves regular or overnight contact with children without parents or guardians being present.
If you need assistance in checking any roles that you might be required to carry out safety checks for, or need assistance putting in place policies and procedures around safety checks please contact a member of the Grow HR team on 06 878 5454.