Working With Children Checks

A short guide for Creative Carers families and carers in Victoria

Handing your child to someone new asks a lot of trust. We feel that too, which is why safety sits quietly underneath everything we do. The Working With Children Check is one of the biggest reasons you can relax when a Creative Carer arrives at your door.

This guide keeps things short and clear. There are two parts. If you are a parent, the first part is for you. If you are a carer, scroll down to your own section and we will walk you through every step.

First, what is a Working With Children Check?

A Working With Children Check, or WWCC, is a background check run by the Victorian Government. It looks at whether someone is safe to work with children, and it keeps watching after the card is issued. If anything changes, a check can be suspended or cancelled at any time.

It is the law in Victoria, and anyone doing paid work with children must hold a current one. At Creative Carers we go a step further. We also require a Police Check, and we ask every carer to hold current First Aid training too, so your family is covered well beyond child-related history alone.

For Parents

Here is the reassuring part. Every carer we introduce to you has already passed a Working With Children Check before joining us. We are an introductory agency, so our job is to find, vet and recommend wonderful carers, and we treat the safety side of that with real care.

We do not check once and forget. We verify every carer’s check when they join us, and we keep checking over time with our own regular reviews. So a carer in our community is being watched over, not waved through.

One small part stays with you. Because you hire and pay your carer directly, you are their legal employer, not us. Our verification is thorough, but it does not replace yours, so a quick look of your own gives you complete peace of mind.

The good news is that it takes about thirty seconds.

• Download the free Service Victoria app.
• Ask your carer to show you the QR code on their digital card.
• Scan it. A green tick means the check is current.

That is the whole job. If you would rather not use the app, you can check online instead. But first, an online check needs the carer’s written permission, so you must ask them before you look it up. You can then use the Service Victoria WWCC Status Checker.

A quick note if your carer is a registered teacher. VIT-registered carers do not hold a physical WWCC, because their teacher registration covers the same screening. You can confirm their registration is current on the VIT Search the Register page.

You look after the cuddles and the bedtime stories. We will keep an eye on the paperwork alongside you.

For Carers

If any of this feels confusing, please do not worry. Plenty of our carers feel the same when they start. We have kept it simple here, and we are always one message away if you get stuck.

Here is everything you need, one step at a time.

1. Make sure you have the right card

There are two kinds of Working With Children Check.

• An Employee card is for paid work. This is the one you need.
• A Volunteer card is only for unpaid work. You cannot use it for a paid job.

If you only have a Volunteer card, that is alright. You can change it to an Employee card online without starting again from scratch. Just let us know and we will help.

2. Apply, if you do not have one yet

You apply online and it takes about thirty minutes. An Employee card lasts for five years and costs a small one-off fee.

Apply or check the current fee here

If you are a teacher registered with the VIT, you do not need a separate WWCC. Just tell us and we will note it on your file.

3. Set up your free digital card

A digital card lets parents scan your QR code in seconds. It makes the first day easy for everyone.

1. Wait 24 hours after you receive your clearance email.
2. Download the Service Victoria app.
3. Log in, or create a free account.
4. Tap My Wallet, then Working with Children Check.
5. Enter your card or application number and verify your identity.

4. Send your details to us

To finish, please send Creative Carers:

• A clear photo of your card, front and back, or your digital card and its QR code.
• Your application number, if your card is still being processed.

A quick note on renewal

Your card lasts five years. You can renew from six months before it expires up to three months after. If you leave it any longer than that, you have to apply all over again, so it is best not to wait. We will send you a friendly reminder before yours is due.

That really is everything. Safety is the quiet foundation that lets the fun happen, the music and the painting, the muddy walks and the made-up stories. Thank you for helping us protect it.

If anything here raises a question, just reach out. We are always happy to help.

Disclaimer: This guide is here to explain how Working With Children Checks work in Victoria and how we handle them at Creative Carers. It is background information, not legal advice, and it cannot speak to the specifics of your own situation. The rules, fees and official processes are set by government and do change from time to time, so please treat the official Victorian Government pages we link to as the final word, and speak with a qualified professional if you need guidance on your own circumstances. Anything you choose to do based on this guide remains your own decision.