Territory’s working with children’s check to be replaced by national scheme
Changes signalled for NT childcare following shocking allegations of child sex abuse by a Victorian childcare worker, but sector leaders say more can be done. Read the details.
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The Northern Territory’s working with children clearance (WWCC) scheme, aka Ochre Card, will be replaced by a national system.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare made the announcement last week in response to shocking allegations Victorian childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown had sexually abused a number of children.
The 26-year-old alleged offender held a Victorian WWCC.
Mr Clare told 2GB’s Mark Levy on Thursday reforms to the childcare sector had taken “too bloody long” and promised to fix the splintered WWCC system.
“As Education Ministers, Labor and Liberal, we all agree it’s taken too bloody long, and we’re determined to act here,” Mr Clare said.
“We need to fix the Working with Children Checks.
“We need to make sure that the information goes from state to state and that if somebody’s criminal record changes, then it’s updated.”
The introduction of a national WWCC scheme is generally welcomed by Territorians in the childcare sector industry, but with some caveats.
For example, the NT’s WWCC has the shortest validity of two years, compared to NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania which are all valid for five years.
This requires NT applicants to apply with a police history check every two years.
Chief executive of childcare provider Kentish Community Services Sarah Fowler said the NT’s system worked well, and would “100 per cent support a national WWCC scheme” that incorporated some of its features.
“Our two-year system works well,” she told the NT News.
“Safe NT also does a great job of informing us straight away of any Ochre Card holders charged with offences related to children.
“I would expect this to be incorporated into any national system.”
Ms Fowler said her childcare centres were very strict on WWCC requirements and did not accept any exemptions, requiring all workers — including tradies — to provide a physical card.
She also required all applicants to have a recent police check as well as a WWCC.
The peak advocacy group for early childhood education in the Northern Territory welcomed shifting to a national system, but said more could be done to address child safety concerns.
“The NT would be well placed to introduce a Reportable Conduct Scheme that obligates reporting allegations of misconduct in services by staff working with children,” Janet Williams-Smith from Early Childhood Australia NT said.
“This is in place in Victoria, NSW, Tasmania, WA and ACT.
“It obliges staff and providers to report misconduct to their child safety commissioner (or equivalent).
“It’s hard to report on colleagues and the confidence to do this lies in the knowledge that reporting is welcomed and the provider and Territory has a system in place that will hear it and respond to it.”
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Originally published as Territory’s working with children’s check to be replaced by national scheme
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