Working with Children Check - About the WWC Screening Unit

Role of the Working with Children Screening Unit

The Working with Children (WWC) Screening Unit, within the Department of Communities, is responsible for administering the WWC Check in Western Australia (WA) and the Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands in accordance with the Act.

In administering the Act, the WWC Screening Unit seeks to Engage, Educate and Enforce.

Engage

The WWC Screening Unit works proactively to increase awareness and understanding of what is required under the Act. This includes providing information and support to organisations and individuals and the screening and assessment of those who engage in child-related work. 

Engagement initiatives include promotional and advertising campaigns, Ready, Check, Chat! one on one consultation sessions for organisations, and attendance at key sector and peak body events.

Educate

The WWC Screening Unit provides individuals and organisations with information about the WWC Check to help them understand their obligations through free online and face to face information sessions and presentations. A wide range of supporting resources, including audio files and videos are also available.

Enforce

The WWC Screening Unit enforces the Act in both proactive and reactive ways. This is done by detecting breaches, bringing them to the attention of the alleged offender, taking corrective or preventative action, applying penalties by prosecution, and providing deterrence.

We recognise that most people want to help keep children safe, however, as compliance lessens our regulatory response must increase. Actions include:

• Compliance checks: conducted to assess an organisation’s compliance with its obligations under the Act.
• Proactive Compliance Program: involves identifying high-risk areas within larger industry or sector groups and targeting our activities to improve understanding, increase compliance and identify potential non-compliance. Previous Proactive Compliance Programs have focused on tutors, babysitting and childminding services and the sport and recreation sector.
• Investigations and prosecutions: an important part of enforcement and necessary to ensure there is a credible consequence for wilfully non-compliant individuals or organisations that pose significant risks to children.

Media statements on WWC Check prosecutions can be found on the Department of Communities announcements page. 

Legislation

• Working with Children (Screening) Act 2004
• Working with Children (Screening) Regulations 2005
• Legislative amendments

Policies, strategies and frameworks

• WWC Screening Unit: Privacy Policy (PDF, 272KB)
• WWC Check: Reducing, Refunding and Waiving of Fees Policy (PDF, 239KB)
• WWC Screening Unit: Aboriginal engagement strategy summary (PDF, 503KB)
• Guide GEN01: WWC Check Screening Unit Complaints Resolution Process (PDF, 240KB)
• WWC Screening Unit: Multicultural engagement strategy (PDF, 223KB)