What is checked?

The WWC Check assesses the criminal records and other relevant information about people who engage in child-related work to see if they have charges, convictions and behaviours that indicate they may harm a child.

The information that is obtained as part of a WWC Check includes, but is not limited to:

• criminal history information from various sources, including a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check which discloses information held by police services across Australia about:
  • any convictions (including where a court has made a formal finding of guilt in relation to an offence, or convicted a person of an offence, or accepted a plea of guilty, or acquitted a person of an offence because of unsoundness of mind)
  • any spent convictions
  • charges and convictions when a person was under 18 years of age
  • where a person was charged with an offence but not convicted (referred to as a non-conviction charge)
  • any pending charges (charges that have not yet been finalised);

  and

• the circumstances surrounding any charges or convictions recorded on a person’s Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check.

In certain circumstances, criminal history information relating to charges and/or convictions for overseas offences may also be obtained.

If an applicant for a WWC Check has a relevant conviction or charge on their criminal record and this information is provided to the WWC Screening Unit, this triggers an assessment of their application. Once an assessment is triggered, the WWC Screening Unit can request and consider any information that is relevant to the issue of whether a child may be exposed to a risk of harm should that person engage in child-related work. This is not limited to only criminal conduct.

All relevant information received by the Unit, including information that is not related to an applicant’s criminal record, may be considered and assessed. This may include requesting and considering information from sources such as other government departments or professional organisations.

Where does the WWC Screening Unit get this information from?

A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check is requested from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission through the National Police Checking Service.

The WWC Screening Unit may request further information about the circumstances of any charge or conviction from the following bodies in Western Australia and their equivalent in other states and territories:

• the Police;
• the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions;
• the Department of Justice; and
• the courts.