Volunteers feel impact of new kids’ safety blitz

ADULTS regularly helping out at kids’ sports and community events will be forced to undergo police checks or face tough fines or even jail under new Victorian laws.

Doncaster Little Athletics President Andrew Glover is one of many who have undergone a background check. Picture: Mark Stewart

ADULTS regularly helping out at children’s sports and community events will be forced to undergo police background checks or face tough fines or even jail, under new child safety laws in Victoria.

The strict new vetting system will affect volunteers across the state and principals, community organisation leaders, and even the AFL are now scrambling to register helpers before the changes come in this year.

The Andrews Government quietly passed an amendment to the Working With Children permit system to include all volunteers, last year.

EDITORIAL: There can be no greater priority than keeping our children safe

There are now concerns people frequently manning barbecues, running water at soccer or footy games, and even sports club tuckshop workers will be affected.

However many organisations are not aware of the new red tape and could face $182,000 in fines or two years in jail if they don’t comply.

The Sunday Herald Sun understands the change has prompted several schools to introduce blanket rules on mandatory background checks for all volunteers to avoid any legal issues.

Urgent newsletters have been sent out by some schools and footy clubs to alert people to the changes, which take effect on August 1.

AFL Victoria confirmed AusKick clubs will be affected and hundreds of co-ordinators are being assisted to ensure helpers are not accidentally breaking the law.

“AFL Victoria has been working to inform all NAB AFL AusKick Centres co-ordinators and all junior and senior clubs that changes have been made that may impact them,” a spokesman said.

Life Saving Victoria is also reacting quickly to the change, which general manager Andrew Foran admitted “does inevitably require more work”, but the increased protection was welcomed.

Previously, Victorian volunteers who had direct contact with children, not just occasional interaction, did not need a Working with Children check if being supervised by another adult who had been given the green light.

Following recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Victoria tightened restrictions, meaning every volunteer who regularly helps and directly deals with children must now be vetted.

Parents who are helping their child’s team or class activity on an occasional basis can be exempt.

Attorney-General Martin Pakula said the safety of children was paramount: “That’s why we have new Working With Children check laws that provide the appropriate safeguards for children participating in sporting activities, at school or in care.”

Tony Firman, of Chelsea Baseball Club, said the move would turn people away from volunteering.

“It’s hard enough to get volunteers to help, and if people have to go out and get working with children checks, that will just mean we’ll have less people,” Mr Firman said.

Victorian Association of Catholic Primary School Principals Dr Michael Gray said the changes would affect a “significant number of people”.

“The standard is raising throughout the industry. There has been a strong uptake in our sector to do with Working With Children checks for volunteers and if you look at schools and sporting clubs, it will affect a significant number of people.’’

He also acknowledged schools across Victoria had already or would implement strict WWC policies to avoid issues.

In a move to help process the anticipated influx of volunteers for permits before the August deadline, a WWC can now be done online but applicants must still go to a post office for identification.

Department of Justice and Regulation spokeswoman Sheree Argento said “the Working With Children Check Unit will be working with their counterparts in the Department of Education to provide a comprehensive community awareness education program before the changes come into effect”.

A Department of Education and Training spokesman said checks for volunteers were free and was not expected to impact the majority of volunteers.