ELTHAM College is committed to providing a safe environment for our young people, free from harm and abuse. As such we adhere to the Victorian Child Safe Standards (the Standards) in all aspects of our organisation. The Standards provide clarity and practical steps to help keep children and young people safe.
One way to keep children and young people safe is to ensure all people working with them have a Working With Children Check. The aim of the check is to assist in protecting children from sexual and physical harm by ensuring that people who work with, or care for, them are subject to a screening process.
If you, as a parent or guardian, are employing a tutor, babysitter or instrumental teacher or any other person over the age of 18 to supervise or work with your child outside of school we would highly recommend that they have a WWCC. If you have accessed this service from a registered provider, it is their legal responsibility to ensure all their employees have one. However, it is your right to clarify that the person you have working with your child has a valid, current, Working With Children Check.
There are two types of checks, a volunteer check and an employee check. Although the assessment process is the same, if someone is being paid to work with a child then they must apply for an employee check rather than a volunteer check. A volunteer might be a coach of a sporting team or scout leader versus an employee might be a tutor, babysitter or instrumental teacher where there is payment for services. The employee check covers both volunteer and paid work.
More information regarding WWCC can be found at https://www.vic.gov.au/working-with-children-check.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to myself or one of the Child Safe Officers at ELTHAM College.
Julia Walker
Head of Student Services
