A Volunteer WWC Clearance and/or WWC Card cannot be used for the purpose of paid employment or engagement.

A person who is a holder of a valid 'volunteer' WWC Clearance and/or WWC Card must apply for the WWC Clearance and WWC Card for paid employment or engagement.

To lodge a WWC application please visit www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au. It is the responsibility of each employee, contractor or volunteer to apply for, and obtain a WWC Card. The University will allow reasonable time for employees to renew their WWC Card during their normal paid hours of work.

All employees, contractors or volunteers will be required to fund the cost of their own applications and renewals.

The Department of Justice and Community Safety will assess and process applications or renewals and issue the appropriate Notice and WWC Card in accordance with the Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic) and Worker Screening Regulations 2021 (Vic).

Once an application or renewal is processed by the Department of Justice and Community Safety, a WWC Clearance and WWC Card, or an Interim WWC Exclusion or WWC Exclusion, will be issued to the individual with a copy to the organisation listed where the work is to be performed.

All employees, contractors or volunteers need to present evidence of WWC Clearance and/or WWC Card to the supervisor/manager, and a certified or signed as sighted copy to People and Culture.

Employees, contractors or volunteers are requested to carry the WWC Card on them at all times when conducting child related work.

Schools/Directorates will be able to obtain reports from People and Culture of WWC Clearance and/or WWC Card expiry dates.

It is the responsibility of the School/Directorate to advise holders of WWC Cards to renew their WWC Card at least four-months prior to expiry date.

For a contractor or volunteer, the WWC Clearance and/or WWC Card is required to be certified or signed as sighted by the direct supervisor/manager and confidentially stored by the School/Directorate. The School/Directorate will monitor WWC Card expiry dates and advise volunteer and contractor WWC Card holders to renew their WWC Cards four-months prior to the expiry date.

Where an Interim WWC Exclusion or WWC Exclusion is issued

Employees, contractors or volunteers who do not present a current WWC Clearance and/or WWC Card prior to being employed or engaged must not commence employment. If an application has been lodged, the employee, contractor or volunteer must not perform any child-related work.

Employees, contractors or volunteers will be provided with a four-week period to present a valid WWC Clearance and/or card, and two-weeks for casual or sessional employees. If they are unable to present at this time, the offer of employment may be terminated.

Any person who presents an Interim WWC Exclusion or WWC Exclusion, must not commence employment or engagement until they are able to present a valid WWC Clearance and/or WWC Card.

The University is not obligated to further delay commencement of employment or engagement pending the re-assessment and subsequent issue of an WWC Clearance and WWC Card.

Once an employee, contractor or volunteer has been employed or engaged they are expected to further disclose any future changes to their circumstances as per the Disclosure During Period of Employment/Engagement section in this procedure.

A WWC Card will be valid for a period of five-years as prescribed in the Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic). An employee, contractor or volunteer cannot continue to do child related work once a WWC Clearance and WWC Card has expired.

A WWC Clearance and Card is transferable between positions, employers, or other engagement arrangements within the valid five-year period.

Any future criminal charge/s will be monitored by the Department of Justice and Community Safety. Any new charge/s or conviction/s will result in a re-assessment of the WWC Check as per the Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic).

Where a employee, contractor or volunteer is provided notice by the Department of Justice and Community Safety that their WWC Check is to be re-assessed, they must notify their relevant Dean or Director, in writing within seven-days.

The notified employee, contractor or volunteer must be withdrawn from all child-related work, and cannot resume child-related work until such time as the re-assessment process is completed and issued with a WWC Clearance and valid WWC Card. The employee, contractor or volunteer is responsible for organising and paying for any re-assessment of their WWC Check.

Where the Dean or Director considers that the employee, contractor or volunteer should not be re-engaged in child-related work

Where an employee, contractor or volunteer fails to comply with obtaining a WWC Check or receives an Interim WWC Exclusion or WWC Exclusion after a WWC Check has been conducted, the University may take any of the following actions:

If an Interim WWC Exclusion or WWC Exclusion is issued, the employee, contractor or volunteer has a right of appeal as specified in the Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic). The process for appeal is outlined on the Notice.

The employee, contractor or volunteer must not be engaged in any child-related work during the appeal period.

It is the responsibility of the holder of a WWC Card to re-apply or renew a WWC Check three-months prior to the expiry date. The cost is the responsibility of the employee, contractor or volunteer.

An employee, contractor or volunteer must advise their Dean or Director in writing of any change of circumstances within seven-days. This includes but is not limited to:

It is the responsibility of the holder of a WWC Clearance and WWC Card to advise the Department of Justice and Community Safety of any change of circumstance as outlined in Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic), Section 20. Failure to do so may result in criminal penalties.

It is the responsibility of the holder of a WWC Clearance and WWC Card to notify the Department of Justice and Community Safety within 21-days of changes to personal details, employer, or volunteer organisation.