WWCC Day promotes awareness of legislation change in WA

Western Australian organisations improved their understanding of how changes to the Working with Children (Screening) Act 2004 better protect children to mark the inaugural Working with Children (WWCC) Day, held 1 July. 

Reforms to strengthen the WWCC legislation came into effect on 1 July 2023, and WWCC Day was introduced to engage with stakeholders and the wider community on the amendments to the WWCC legislation.

Amendments to the legislation include expanding the list of criminal offences that trigger an automatic Negative Notice, which makes it an offence to carry out child-related work, with the reforms designed to ensure greater protection of children by making it harder for people who have committed certain offences or engaged in certain conduct to obtain a WWCC Check.

“The Working with Children Check is one of the most powerful ways we can ensure organisations are child safe,” Child Protection Minister Sabine Winton said. 

“Working with Children Day plays an important role in promoting individual and organisation obligations under the Working with Children legislation.”

“Protecting children is everyone’s business, and I encourage everyone to ensure they are aware of their Working with Children Check obligations.”

An outreach programme, known as “Explore the Check” promotes the reforms and changes, which also ensure a person’s suitability to keep their WWCC Card is reassessed if that person has a relevant change in their criminal history or a conduct review outcome.

A new social media campaign “Strengthens Protections for Children ” launched last month which aims to raise awareness about how changes to the WWCC legislation ensures children are better protected.

In addition, information sessions and workshops are being run by the WWCC Screening Unit to gauge the experiences of key stakeholders with the WWCC Check one year on from the amendments.

WWCC Day and the “Explore the Check” outreach program are important engagement initiatives to increase awareness and understanding of individual and organisation WWCC obligations.

For employees, volunteers, or organisations who breach their WWCC Check obligations, fines of up to $60,000 and five years’ imprisonment may apply.

For more information visit https://www.workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au/