DESE shares video outlining background check roles and responsibilities

The Federal Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) has shared a video designed to support early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers to learn what background checks they and their staff members need. 

Providers must undertake certain background checks for the following people:

• each person who has management or control of the provider
• each person who has responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the service
• Family Day Care and In Home Care educators.

The people listed above will need a police check which is less than six months old when they commence employment. 

If the role involves working with children, staff members will need a current Working with Children check. Working with children checks must always be kept current, and will not be accepted if they are expired. Providers are responsible for ensuring that all staff members have the correct checks, and that these are current. 

Providers must:

• make sure all checks are carried out
• keep track of expiry dates
• tell the Department if the status of a person’s check changes.

The Department may take compliance action if providers fail to meet obligations, including:

• putting conditions on service approval
• issuing an infringement
• suspending or cancelling service approval.

More information is available here.