Disability support services police check in Australia

Do you know that approximately one in five Australians have a disability? Disability is any condition that limits a person's sensory, mental, or mobility functions - and it is more common than may think. While most people with disabilities can function effectively in society, some require special care.

Disability support services is a term that covers all forms of support services provided to individuals where a condition, disability, or illness makes it difficult for them to look after themselves. Care workers are a prime example of disability support workers.

One of the important requirements for disability support jobs is a police check. Police checks - formally referred to as a nationally coordinated criminal history check (NCCHC) - reveal an applicant's disclosable court outcomes (DCO).

A check result with a DCO may list the following police information:

• charges
• court convictions, including penalties and sentences
• findings of guilt with no conviction
• court appearances
• good behaviour bonds or other court orders
• matters awaiting court hearing
• warrants and/or warnings
• traffic offences.

Disability support workers closely work with vulnerable people. This can be a person severely disabled, an elderly dealing with a severe health condition like Alzheimer's, or someone struggling with a long-term illness. Dealing with such people requires care, patience and empathy. A police check helps determine if a person is suitable for that role by:

Violent-prone individuals are not suitable for providing disability support services because of the health risk they pose. Because a police check reveals previous convictions related to violence, employers may filter out violent-prone individuals during the hiring process.

Sexual offenders should never work with vulnerable groups. That's why this requirement is a legal requirement. A NCCHC discloses an individual's past sexual crimes. Therefore, employers can weed out unsuitable candidates through their check results.

Integrity is a vital characteristic of any worker. With a police check, employers can identify theft-prone individuals in the application process. With that information, they can make sound hiring decisions.

Individuals can directly request a police check. On the other hand, the hiring organisation can ask for a police check on behalf of job applicants. However, they first need to collect consent. Here are the steps involved in processing an NCCHC:

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) manages the national police checking service in Australia. They work with accredited agencies and the police forces to make police checking accessible to Australians.

The first step to obtaining a police check is applying to an ACIC-accredited agency or a state or territory police force. This application is typically online, and you would be required to fill out an application form, entering details about your name, address, date of birth and purpose of the check.

The candidate must also submit identification documents to validate the identity of the person requesting the police check.

After the applicant's identity is verified, the applicant's information is forwarded to the National Police Checking System (NSS). This system runs a name-matching algorithm and pulls out the records of all potential matches. These matches are sent to the relevant police agency for further assessment.

If no record matches the applicant's details, a No Disclosable Court Outcome (NDCO) is returned to the police agency or accredited body that submitted the check. On the other hand, if a match is found, the record is sent to the relevant police agency for vetting. This vetting process involves applying the spent conviction legislation to determine which criminal record can be released. Once this is completed, the result is sent to the police agency or accredited body that submitted the check as a Disclosable Court Outcome (DCO).

Once the check is complete, the accredited body or police agency retrieves the check result and notifies the applicant of the result's availability. Police agencies release this information as a National Police Certificate (NPC). Accredited ACIC providers can brand their results (subject to ACIC's approval).

The ACIC works with accredited bodies and police agencies to process 95% of applications within ten business days. Note that about 70% of applications are processed within 24 hours. The other 30% are referred for manual processing which may take longer than 10 days due to the manual nature of this process.

Australian National Character Check (ANCC), a prominent agency - charges $52.90 + GST for a police check (base cost).

ANCC provides a fast, efficient, and cost-effective police checking service. If you need a police check for employment in disability support services, you can get one through:

The individual portal is for persons looking to get a police check for themselves. You need to fill out our online application form and pay the fee. You'll be required to provide your name, contact details, additional information on the purpose of each and the necessary identification documents. Are you seeking a job in disability support services? Perform an individual police check through our platform today to get your police check result handy for any job application.

ANCC's business portal is ideal for disability support organisations that need a platform to manage police checks for applicants and employees. You can set up an account promptly, after which you can add candidates and monitor their police check process in real-time. ANCC's business account makes it easy to order and track bulk police checks. It is a must-have tool for HR workers in any organisation.