How to renew a Working with Children Check in NSW and Victoria

New South Wales

The NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian (OCG) says a WWCC clearance lasts for 5 years. Service NSW says you will be notified by email 3 months before expiry, and you can renew from that time. The OCG encourages people to renew early, because renewal applications go through the same screening as a new application and can take time.

There are two ways to renew:

• Online using face verification, matched to the photo on a NSW driver licence or NSW Photo Card.
• By completing the OCG renewal form and visiting a Service NSW centre within 28 days, with original identity documents. The application (APP) number expires after 28 days.

You cannot renew online using face verification if the clearance has already expired, or if you have changed your name on your identity documents since the last application or renewal. Service NSW also notes that the WWCC is an online system and does not have a physical card or certificate.

What NSW employers must do

The OCG says any organisation that engages people in child-related work must register and verify WWCC details through the Employer Portal. Verifying is a legal requirement, and there is a fine for not verifying. It links the worker to the organisation so the OCG can tell the employer if the person later becomes barred.

To verify, the employer enters the person’s family name, date of birth, and WWCC or APP number. A person can only be employed or engaged in child-related work if the status is “Cleared” or “Application in progress”. Employers must verify again when a worker renews after 5 years, and must keep a record of each verification.

Victoria

The Victorian Government says a Working with Children Clearance is valid for 5 years, unless it is suspended, cancelled or surrendered. Current cardholders can renew online up to six months before the clearance expires, and for three months after it expires. If it has been expired for more than three months, the person must apply for a new Check. It is illegal to do child-related work after the clearance expires unless the renewal has been lodged, or an exemption now applies.

What Victorian organisations must do

Victorian organisations must check the worker’s status before they start work. It is not enough just to see the card. The worker must update their details to include the organisation’s name (through Service Victoria), and the organisation should check this against the confirmation letter it is sent.

Organisations should also keep a record of the application receipt or Check number, look carefully at the physical or digital card, and record the number, expiry date and card type (“E” for paid employees or “V” for volunteers). A status checker on Service Victoria can be used with the first 8 characters of the application or card number and the worker’s surname. A digital card’s QR code can also be scanned in the Service Victoria app for a real-time status.

A NSW check and a Victorian check are not interchangeable. If someone will do child-related work in both states, they need to follow each state’s official requirements.