As Nelson Mandala once said, “there can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children”. New Zealand’s government safety checking regulations certainly highlight the importance of protecting children in the community.
Under The Vulnerable Children Act 2014, all paid employees and contractors who work with children for state-funded organisations in New Zealand are required to be safety checked (as of July 2015). 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.
CV Check (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.
This online service is also available through CVCheck for other organisations or children’s workers who need convenience and peace of mind that they are fully compliant with the Act.
What does a Children’s Worker Safety Check involve?
Children’s Worker Safety Checks involve gathering a range of key information about a person and evaluating this information to determine whether they pose any risk in being employed to work with children.
The checks required under the legislation vary depending on each worker’s circumstances. If you’re a new children’s worker, you’ll need to have most of the below checks completed. If you’re an existing children’s worker, only a few of the following are required:
- Identity Verification Check
- New Zealand Police Vetting Check
- Reference Check (professional or personal)
- Employment Verification Check
- Professional Membership Check
- Interview with the Applicant
- Risk Assessment
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:
- All existing non-core children’s workers must be safety checked by 1 July 2019.
- Practising core children’s workers were required to be safety checked by 1 July 2018.
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, CV Check (NZ) Ltd is 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 Children’s Worker Safety Checks, as either an employer or a children’s worker, you can contact CV Check (NZ) here.
