Risk assessment

Schedule 1 records include: 

• charges relating to violence or sexual offending against a child, whatever the outcome of the proceedings (including findings of Not Guilty)
• serious or aggravated animal cruelty 
• offences relating to recording intimate images, filming or observation of a child 
• drug offences involving children 
• offences involving intentional harmful conduct including poisoning and arson  

A full list of police records can be found in Schedule 1.  
 

We risk assess if there are any findings by a reporting body that any of the following conduct has occurred:

1. Sexual misconduct committed against, with or in the presence of a child, including grooming a child
2. Any serious physical assault of a child.

The Reportable Conduct Directorate may notify the Working with Children Check Directorate of any concerns they become aware of during the course of a workplace investigation that are relevant to the person working with children. 

Convictions or pending charges for offences involving violence or sexual misconduct may also trigger a risk assessment if they indicate a pattern of behaviour that warrant an investigation because of child safety concerns.

Yes, you can email WWCCassessment@ocg.nsw.gov.au to request to withdraw your application during risk assessment.

Your request will be considered by the Children’s Guardian. If the Guardian is of the opinion that it is likely that there is risk to the safety of children you may not be permitted to withdraw your application and the risk assessment will continue.

You will be advised if your request to withdraw your application is accepted or refused. Please note, if your application is withdrawn and you applied for a paid Working with Children Check, the fee you paid is non-refundable.

It’s important we have all relevant information before we make a decision. We rely on external agencies such as NSW local and district courts, Corrective Services NSW and the Department Communities and Justice to provide information to inform the assessment process. 

Because we rely heavily on external sources of information, it can be difficult to provide a timeframe for completion. Depending on the complexity of the assessment, the time to make a decision can exceed 12 months.

Most people can work with children while we conduct the assessment. 

Because of current high demand for WWCC, processing times have been affected and assessments may take longer than 12 months. 

Section 15 of the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012 sets out what can be considered when assessing risk.

As part of the risk assessment process, we may request information from other agencies as well as the applicant.

You will be contacted by the Office of the Children’s Guardian if your application is being risk assessed and you can provide information. It is an opportunity to participate in the process and put forward your case for being cleared.

Most people can do child-related work using their Application (APP) number while the assessment takes place. However, some employers require workers to hold a valid WWCC clearance before they can commence paid child-related employment. For example, this requirement applies to paid child-related employment with NSW Health, the NSW Department of Education, individuals working in early childhood education and care, and teachers requiring NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) accreditation. Employees should speak to their employer if they have questions about these requirements.

If there are concerns that there is a likely risk to the safety of children we can issue an Interim Bar until we have completed our risk assessment.