Police Checks & Mandated Reporting

Until January 2012 recreation and sport organisations are still required to implement a screening process for staff, volunteers and contractors working with children that includes reference checks. People who work with children must be suitable.

Currently conducting a police check is not mandated for recreation and sport organisations in South Australia.

However, organisations may still require people to undergo a police check as a matter of good organisational practice, even if an assessment is not yet required by law.

From January 2012 organisations that provide sport and recreation services wholly or partly for children will need to conduct criminal history assessments for employees, volunteers and contractors who are working with children, unless an exemption applies.

This requirement will be phased in over two years to be completed by December 2013

The criminal history assessment must include obtaining a police check.

In some cases, the law will allow for the exemption of a person from the requirement to undergo a criminal history assessment. Organisations will need to examine the exemptions to see if any exemptions apply to people working or volunteering in their organisation.

However, even then organisations may still require people in these categories to undergo a criminal history assessment as a matter of good organisational practice, even if an assessment is not required by law.

The following organisations, persons and positions are exempt from the requirement to conduct a criminal history assessment:

• A person volunteering for a service or activity in which their child ordinarily participates;

• A person who volunteers who is less than 18 years of age;

• A person working or volunteering for a short‐term event or activity of less than 10 days duration or for no more than 1 day in any month;

• A person occupying a position in which all work involving children is undertaken in the physical presence of the child’s parents or guardians and in which there is ordinarily no physical contact with the children;

• A person who undertakes, or a position that only involves, work that is primarily provided to adults or is provided to the public generally and is not provided to any child on an individual basis;
  

• An organisation that provides equipment, food or venues for children’s parties or events but does not provide any other services for children;

• A person who has regular contact with a child as part of an employment relationship with the child (for example, a person working alongside a child or supervising an employee who is a child);
  

• A person who is appointed as a police officer or is a registered teacher. (Police officers and teachers are already subject to comprehensive criminal history assessments as a prerequisite for employment).

No exemption is available to people who work in positions involving commercial child care; family day care; juvenile justice; child protection; disability services; or residential care and other overnight accommodation specifically for children (unless the overnight accommodation is provided by a visiting interstate worker who does not ordinarily live or perform work in South Australia).

How to conduct criminal history assessments

Regardless of whether an organisation chooses to undertake criminal history assessments now or waits until 2012, there are standards that organisations must follow when conducting criminal history assessments.

For more information including a recreation and sport specific fact sheet and information on managing criminal history information of people working with children go to: http://www.dfc.sa.gov.au/pub/Default.aspx?tabid=927

Obtaining a National Police Certificate

For more information and applications, go to:

National Police certificate
South Australian Police

or

National Criminal History Record Check (NCHRC) and Screening Assessment
Department of Families and Communities

Mandated Reporting

Suspected child abuse - what is reportable, who must report? (511kb PDF)
'Keeping Children Safe in Recreation and Sport'. Hard copies available. See contact below.

Responding to Suspected Child Abuse
Department of Families and Communities

Mandated Reporting Courses

Most people working with children in sport are now automatically mandated (ie they must report suspected child abuse). But, it is not compulsory for all volunteers to attend mandated notifier training.

It is recommended that clubs and recreation centres have a 'Child Safe Officer' who is trained and will pass on information to others. For further information on Mandated Reporting Courses go to the Department of Families and Communities.

Online awareness training is available for coaches, officials, volunteers, parents and participants on the Play By The Rules website www.playbytherules.net.au

Who else can help? (284 kb PDF)
A list of agencies and contacts.
SA Referral Guide - Play By The Rules

Child Abuse Report Line: 131478

Kids Help Line: 1800 551 1800

For more information
Senior Project Officer

Safe Supportive Environments
Office for Recreation and Sport
Phone: +61 8 7424 7622

Email: participation@sa.gov.au

Please contact us to obtain a copy of a document in an alternative format.