Child-related employment

Child-related employment screening checks assess whether a potential employee or volunteer could pose a risk to the safety of children, based on their criminal history and child protection information. These checks are valid for three years and are continuously monitored.

Employees and volunteers working with children in the following service areas need a child-related employment screening check:

• health
• child and family welfare
• education
• sporting or recreational
• religious or spiritual instruction
• child care and child protection
• cultural
• entertainment
• residential.

A range of information is assessed to work or volunteer with children. If there are any relevant offences, the Screening Unit will also consider:

• the nature of and circumstances surrounding the offence
• the presence of a pattern of offending (if any)
• time elapsed since the offence was committed
• severity of a court-imposed penalty
• offender’s age at the time of the offence
• the age and vulnerability of the victim
• the offender’s relationship to the victim and their age difference
• whether a child played a part in committing the offence (either directly or indirectly)
• relevance of the offence to the individual’s work or volunteer role
• the offender's conduct since the offence.

A child-related employment screening check from the Department of Human Services Screening Unit is valid for three years and is continuously monitored to ensure an individual’s clearance remains up-to-date.

From 1 July 2019, a new working with children check replaces the child-related employment screening. A child-related employment screening check will be recognised as a working with children check until it expires.

Before 1 July 2019, you can still apply for a child-related employment screening check.

Related information

• Legislation
• South Australian Department of Child Protection
• Relevant history screening for the South Australian Department of Education
• Each state and territory in Australia is different and has its own procedures around working with children. Find out more about working with children checks outside of South Australia:
  • New South Wales
  • Victoria
  • Queensland
  • Western Australia
  • Australian Capital Territory
  • Northern Territory
  • Tasmania