Key things you need to know
If you’re a children’s worker working with children in a state funded organisation, that provides regulated health services you must be safety checked.
When do you need to have it completed by?
New employees
- All new core children’s workers must be safety checked before starting employment or engagement as a children’s worker
- All new non-core children’s workers must be safety checked before starting employment or engagement as a children’s worker
Existing employees
- 1 July 2018 – all existing core children’s workers must have been safety checked by this date
- 1 July 2019 – all existing non-core children’s workers must have been safety checked by this date
Recap on government changes
As you may be aware in a cross-sector action plan to address child vulnerability in New Zealand, on 11 October 2012 the then Minister for Social Development, Hon Paula Bennett, announced a major cross-government project – the Children’s Action Plan.
The aim is to develop a safe and competent children’s workforce who can better identify, support, and protect children and vulnerable people in their homes and in the community. The Children’s Action Plan outlines a number of steps to be taken to safeguard children. These include the:
- Development of Children’s Teams
- Introduction of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014
- Introduction of child protection policies required under the Act
- Introduction of new obligations for vetting and screening processes, and
- Setting of minimum standards and core competencies for those working with children.
The introduction of the Vulnerable Children Act impacts all paid new and existing employees and contractors who work with children (up to 17 years of age) in a state-funded organisation that provide regulated health services.
CVCheck (NZ) Ltd have been selected as the exclusive provider of Children’s Workers Safety Checks for specific groups of children’s workers from the New Zealand Ministry of Health, New Zealand Ministry of Education and New Zealand Ministry of Social Development. We have also been Gazetted by the Director-General of Health.
How can you get your Children’s Worker Safety Checks completed so you’re compliant?
Head to the CVCheck website, and select your employment type, then the Safety Check wizard will easily walk you through setting up your account and what checks you need to order to be compliant.
As the provider of the service, CVCheck (NZ) Ltd are proud to be helping build trust between the community and those carrying out the important work of looking after children. If you need more information on the Children’s Worker Safety Checks as either an employer or a children’s worker, contact CVCheck (NZ).
