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How the Check Works

Working with Children (WWC) Check applications are assessed by the Department of Justice.

The outcome of your WWC Check will depend on the results of a national police records check and a review of any findings from specified disciplinary bodies. Only a limited range of offences and disciplinary findings are taken into account – see the “What if You Have a Criminal Record?” page. For information about the police check and what it entails, see the “What is Checked?” page.

Applicants who pass the WWC Check receive an Assessment Notice and a WWC Check card.

If the department intends to give you a Negative Notice, which means that you have not passed the WWC Check, you will first be given an Interim Negative Notice so that you have an opportunity to make a submission to explain why you believe you should pass the WWC Check.

After a Negative Notice has been issued, in most cases you can apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for an Assessment Notice to be given to you. VCAT can order the department to issue an Assessment Notice and a WWC Check card, provided that you are not subject to reporting obligations imposed by the Sex Offenders Registration Act 2004, or subject to an extended supervision order under the Serious Sex offenders Monitoring Act 2005.

Employers, volunteer organisations and agencies can verify the status of a WWC Check application or card at any time on this website, or by calling the WWC Check Information Line.

One of the key features of the WWC Check is that it provides ongoing checking of a person’s criminal record while a WWC Check is valid (five years). The department is also advised on an ongoing basis of any relevant findings made against a person by the out of home care Suitability Panel, or against a person currently registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.