Screening procedures for potential candidates
There are varying levels of screening available, depending on your circumstances, including:
Working with children checks
Employees (or volunteers) of any organisation who will be undertaking 'child related work’ must not commence in that role without a Working with Children Check (WWC Check). The Victorian Working With Children Act 2005 defines what is 'child related work’ - for information, read PilchConnect's Guide to Working with Children Checks (below).
The WWC Check involves checking a person's criminal record and making inquiries with certain professional disciplinary bodies beyond law enforcement agencies (eg, the Victorian Institute of Teaching and the Out of Home Carers Suitability Panel).
The WWC Check focuses on specific offences (which may impact on the safety of children), and is 'ongoing', which means that the applicant's criminal record is monitored throughout the life of the WWC Check.
PilchConnect has produced a comprehensive guide on Working with Children Checks - go to:
Criminal record (police) checks
Officially, criminal record checks are called National Police Certificates.
If your organisation wants to require an applicant to provide a National Police Certificate, you need to contact Victoria Police. Victoria Police will not provide information about an individual's criminal history without that person’s written consent. For more information go to the Victoria Police website and CrimCheck.
Police checks are different from WWCs and you may want to require both, depending on the nature of the work being done by the employee. For example, not all criminal offences will be checked for as part of a WWC, only those that the Department of Justice considers to pose a risk to children. Offences such as traffic offences or minor thefts may not be revealed through a WWC Check.
A police check allows an organisation to be aware of all previous convictions - child-related or not - and this may be appropriate if the employee’s role will involve, for example, (you are seeking an employee who, for example, may be) handling money or driving clients between locations.
Important!
If your organisation requires that applicants undergo police checks during the recruitment process, you must not refuse an applicant because he or she has a prior conviction for an offence that has no relevance to the position.
There are legal protections against discrimination on the basis of criminal record, and you should only refuse an applicant on the basis of a criminal past when you believe that the prior offence prevents the applicant from performing the 'inherent requirements' of the position.
For more information go to Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC).
Other screening tests
Even where there is no legal requirement that background checks be performed your organisation should screen potential employees. You might like to consider reference checks, medical tests, and drug and alcohol checks.
Legal responsibility
Screening applicants can be a way for your organisation to prevent problems arising. All organisations have a duty of care (a legal responsibility) to ensure a safe environment for employees, volunteers and clients. Because you need your workplace to be safe, you need to be appropriately informed about the individuals you employ.
An organisation may use background checks or screening as part of a risk management process, and as a way of satisfying the organisation’s duty of care to those who interact with it such as clients, volunteers, other employees and the general public.
Performing background checks does not automatically discharge your organisation's duty of care but will show that the health and safety of those associated with the organisation is taken seriously by the group.
Practically, undertaking basic informal background checks such as asking for, and checking, referee details is a good way for your organisation to assure itself that it is fulfilling its your legal obligations to provide a safe workplace when recruiting a new employee.