Who does not need a Working with Children Check?

A person who is under 14 years of age does not need a Working with Children Check.

A member of the South Australia Police or the Australian Federal Police does not need a Working with Children Check.

If you believe on reasonable grounds that you will not work with children on more than 7 days (whether consecutive or not) in a calendar year, you do not need a Working with Children Check.

If, at the time of engaging in particular child-related work on a particular day in a calendar year, you had worked with children on less than 7 days (whether consecutive or not) in that year, you do not require a Working with Children Check.

When this does not apply

You will need to get a Working with Children Check if:

• you work with children more than 7 days; or
• your child-related work involves overnight excursions or activity (for example, a school camp); or
• your child-related work involves close personal contact with children with disability.

Parents or guardians do not require a Working with Children Check if the child-related work:

• is voluntary; and
• involves their own child.

Example: If a parent volunteers to coach the under 10’s netball team their child plays in, they do not require a Working with Children Check.

When this does not apply

You will need to get a Working with Children Check if the child-related work involves:

• accommodation and residential services for a child other than your own child; or
• close personal contact with a child other than your own child.

Close personal contact means:

• an act involving an intimate bodily function such as using a toilet; or
• an activity involving nudity, or exposure or partial exposure of the genitals, buttocks or breasts.

Example: if a parent

• volunteers to coach an under 10s netball team their child does not play in
• does work that involves close personal contact with a child other than their own, including assisting children to change in a change room or volunteering on their child’s overnight camp.

In these situations, you will need to get a Working with Children Check.

People who normally live outside South Australia, and hold an equivalent check from their home state or territory, do not need a South Australian Working with Children Check as long as the child-related work:

• occurs, or is to occur, in the course of an organised event; and
• does not exceed 10 consecutive days.

Organised events include events organised and run by an association, club or other body as part of the official activities of the body.

Example: Interstate or territory people working at a 5-day Australian Scout Jamboree will not need a Working with Children Check.

When this does not apply

People who normally live outside South Australia and do not hold an equivalent check from their home state or state or territory, may qualify for the 7-day exclusion, otherwise they will need to get a Working with Children Check if they want to work with children.

Someone prohibited from working with children in their home state or territory cannot work or volunteer with children in South Australia.

If you are currently prohibited from working with children in South Australia, you cannot use these exclusions. You cannot work or volunteer with children.

If you have ever been prohibited from working with children in South Australia, you cannot use these exclusions. If you want to work or volunteer with children, you must have a Working with Children Check.

If you are currently prohibited from working with children (however described) in another state or territory, you cannot use these exclusions. You cannot work or volunteer with children.

If you have ever been prohibited from working with children (however described) in another state or territory, you cannot use these exclusions. If you want to work or volunteer with children, you must have a Working with Children Check.

Some people cannot use these exclusions because they provide:

• education
• early childhood services
• residual early childhood services
• preschool
• primary, or
• secondary education to children.

Check the Prohibited Persons Act (PDF 120KB).

The 7-day exclusion no longer applies if a person works with children for more than 7 days.

The 7-day exclusion never applies if the child-related work consists of or includes:

• an overnight excursions or activity; or
• close personal contact with children with disability.

The 10-day exclusion for visiting workers (who hold a Working with Children Check equivalent from their home state or territory) no longer applies if the person provides child-related work for more than 10 consecutive days during the organised event.

The 10-day exclusion for visiting workers (who hold a Working with Children Check equivalent from their home state or territory) never applies if the work does not occur, or is not likely to occur, in the course of an organised event.