Who pays for police checks?

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Australian National Character Check (ANCC) makes every effort to provide updated and accurate information to its customers. However due to the continuously changing nature of legislations for the Commonwealth and various States and Territories, it is inevitable that some information may not be up to date. The information on the website is general information only. The contents on the website do not constitute legal or professional advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal or professional advice. While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, suitability, accuracy or availability with respect to the information.

Almost all job applications in Australia now require a nationally coordinated criminal history check result. If that role falls within the “sensitive” roles (e.g. aged care), in some cases it is unlawful for the employer not to hold a valid Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check for their employees.

There are different purposes why you may need a police check, and some of them are;

✔ Paid services and general employment

✔ Financial and corporate services

✔ Licensing and contracts

The application process for a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check has become easier and widespread as the needs are growing. However, the process is not free and may require you to remit some fee depending on the purpose of the check.

Who pays for police check applications?

This may depend on who is applying for the police check or the purpose for the check.

• Individual application

For self-application, the applicant will bear the full application fee. This way, the application is sent directly to you without any interference.

You can then decide to submit this application or withhold it for your own personal use. The cost to obtain a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check via Australian National Character Check is a base price of $52.90 + GST.

• Third-party requested application

Sometimes, organisations who request criminal history checks want to be sure of the veracity of applicants' police check results. So instead of receiving the police checks from any source, they ask applicants to apply for an updated check via an ACIC approved service provider like Australian National Character Check (ANCC).

Before a third party organisation requests an individual for their police check, they will usually inform the individual on who bears the cost. In most cases, the organisation bears the total cost however that may not always be the case. A number of organisations also require applicants to bear the full cost of a police check.

Organisations that order criminal history checks must do so with the “informed consent” of the individual. This consent stipulates the use and disclosure of the contents of the nationally coordinated criminal history check result.

Organisations that send check requests to applicants via ANCC’s business portal have the option to pay for the check themselves, or ask the applicant to pay.

How can my organization obtain a police check for an individual?

Some organisations want to avoid the risks of trusting applicants to produce an authentic check completely by themselves. While verifying checks seems a little stressful, they can opt to obtain a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check for the candidates.

However, employers or other requesting parties should know that there is no such thing as a “secret police check application”. All criminal history check applications require the informed consent of the applicant. ANCC’s business portal assists employers to conduct criminal history checks in a compliant manner.

Also, the organisation must follow all directives regarding disclosure, use and assessment of the individual with their criminal history check result.

Organisations that want to obtain a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check for their prospective employees can do so via the Australian National Character Check business portal.

Why organisations should apply via ANCC

• Applicants generally will receive the crime check results within 24 hours of completing the application. Those referred for manual processing will take up to 15+ days
• Applicants can complete the entire process online, including ID verification for police checks
• Make special arrangements with our service. Bulk discounts are available.
• Seven days customer support for applicants

Who can disclose the details of a police check?

Irrespective of who obtains the police check, only the candidate can permit the disclosure of their check.

Illegitimate disclosure is an offence.

What roles require a police check certificate?

Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks are a prerequisite for some professions before granting employment, contract, licensing or industry accreditations. The industries include but are not limited to;

• Healthcare professionals
• Aged care workers (aged care checks)
• Childcare
• Tutors
• Correctional Staff
• Mining workers
• Government Personnel
• Financial Service workers (financial services checks)
• Legal Workers
• Liquor sellers
• Charities and not for profit organisations (not for profit background checks)
• Pawnbrokers
• Real Estate agents (real estate checks)
• Construction workers and contractors
• Public vehicle drivers (driver accreditation checks)
• Vehicle dealers
• And any other profession that grants the personnel direct or indirect access to sensitive positions or positions of trust.

Police check for Business and workplaces

Australian National Character Check helps companies and enterprises to make informed decisions about individuals during employment, licensing and accreditation by providing credible police history checks.

An employer can register with ANCC’s business portal and request criminal history checks from applicants. The process is as follows:

Step 1: Sign up to ANCC’s business portal.

Step 2: ANCC will approve or decline the organisation’s access to the business portal

Step 3: Make payments via any of our numerous payment options (PayPal, Debit/Credit cards)

Step 4: Send invites to applicants to complete a nationally coordinated criminal history check with their informed consent

Step 5: ANCC takes care of the entire verification and application process with the applicant

Step 6: Track the progress of each application

Step 7: Send reminders to applicants to complete their checks or view results as they become available

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