Support worker employment police checks

Support workers in Australia provide services to help people with disabilities, mental health conditions, or other needs to live independently and participate in their communities. Support workers may also provide care and assistance to older adults or those with chronic illnesses. Their duties may include personal care, housekeeping, meal preparation, shopping, and transportation.

Support workers may be employed by government agencies, non-profit organisations, or private providers and may work in various settings, such as homes, community centres, and residential care facilities.

To work as a support worker in Australia, individuals typically need relevant qualifications and certifications, such as a Certificate III in Individual Support. They may be required to undergo a police check and other background checks.

A police check is a document that discloses an individual's criminal record, including convictions, charges and pending court cases. This check is commonly required for employment, especially for roles where an individual works with vulnerable populations such as children or the elderly.

Police checks supplied by ANCC are formally referred to as a nationally coordinated criminal history check (NCCHC) in Australia.

In Australia, support workers are often employed in roles where they work with vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly and individuals with disabilities. Given the nature of these roles, it is essential for employers to ensure the safety and protection of these populations, as well as to maintain public trust in the services they provide. This is why support workers are often required to undergo a police check as part of the hiring process.

A police check provides information about an individual's criminal history, including convictions, charges and pending court cases. This information helps employers make informed decisions about the suitability of potential employees for specific roles. For example, a person with a history of violent crimes may not be suitable for work as a support worker, as it may pose a risk to the populations they serve. By conducting police checks, employers can help ensure that their employees do not threaten the safety and well-being of the vulnerable people they serve.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) works with accredited bodies and police agencies to provide police checking services in Australia.

Here are the steps involved in this police checking process:

First, you must apply for the police check through an accredited ACIC body or a police agency. The application process is usually online, and you'll have to fill out a form with essential details like your name, address, date of birth, the purpose of the check and more. Uploading four identification documents is also a necessary part of the application process. These documents include the following:

• ✔ One commencement of ID document
• ✔ One primary use in community document
• ✔ Two secondary use in the community documents
• ✔ A biometric link that links the applicant to the claimed identification

A police check with Australian National Character Check (ANCC) costs $52.90 + GST.

After applying, the accredited body or police agency looks through your application and identification documents for authentication. A valid submission is sent to the National Police Checking Service Support System (NSS).

It runs a name-matching algorithm to find if there are any potential matches from its robust databases. The system immediately returns a 'no disclosable court outcome (NDCO)' to the body requesting the check if it doesn't find a match. But if it does, the system forwards this potential criminal record match to the relevant police agency for manual processing. Here, the police agency confirms if the criminal record belongs to the applicant. If that's the case, the police agency then applies the spent conviction scheme to determine which of those records are releasable before sending the final result back to the body requesting the check.

You can obtain your police check result from either the police agency or accredited body you applied through once the result is available.

You can get a result whilst based in any state or territory of Australia. This includes a police check in QLD or any other location in Australia

A police check for support work in Australia is mandatory in most cases. Employers usually require support workers to undergo a police check as part of their hiring process.

The processing time for a police check for support work in Australia can vary. About 70% of applications are processed in a day. However, the other 30% may take longer than two weeks to process.

While police checks do not technically expire, organisations set an acceptable time frame based on their risk assessment and operational requirements.

As Australia's leading supplier, you can obtain quick, efficient, and affordable police checks through ANCC. Take a look at our individual and business portals today:

ANCC's portal best suits individuals looking for work as support workers in Australia. You can order and track your application in real-time.

Businesses needing support workers can now rely on ANCC's innovative business portal to manage police checks. This portal allows you to order, track, monitor, and compare multiple police check applications in real-time, helping to ensure that your hiring decisions are adequate and compliant. All businesses are subject to a process of approval prior to being granted access.