When to apply for a WWC Check
A person who requires a WWC Check should apply when they are about to start, or are continuing in, 'child-related work'. This includes children under the age of 18 engaging in 'paid' 'child-related work'.
Students on placement who are 18 years of age or older must only apply for a WWC Check once a placement in child-related work has been arranged by their 'education provider'.
Please note: People who have a current 'Interim Negative Notice', 'Negative Notice' or a pending charge for, or conviction of, a 'Class 1 offence' committed as an adult are unable to apply for a WWC Check.
If a person is required to apply for a WWC Check by their 'organisation’s' national policy but they do not believe they are undertaking child-related work and are ineligible to apply in Western Australia (WA), we recommend discussing the matter with the 'organisation' and offering to obtain another form of screening, such as a National Police Certificate.
Ongoing consent
When a person applies for a WWC Check or a 'renewal' of their WWC Card they are agreeing to give ongoing consent for the collection, use and disclosure of information about themselves, relevant to whether they should be issued with a WWC Card. This consent is for the initial checking based on a person’s WWC application and, if issued with a WWC Card, checking on an ongoing basis until their WWC Card expires.
Consent for ongoing checking can be withdrawn at any point by withdrawing your WWC application or cancelling your WWC Card.
Please see the WWC Check Privacy Policy for details on how information is stored and used.
Application forms
WWC Check Application Forms are currently provided in hardcopy format and are available from authorised Australia Post outlets.
Employers, volunteer organisations or 'education providers' may also have WWC Check applications available for people engaging in child-related work for their 'organisation'.
Organisations can contact the WWC Screening Unit to request a large number of application forms if required.
Complete an application form
WWC Check Application Forms must be filled in with true and correct personal information by the applicant. Providing false or misleading information is an offence under the Working with Children (Screening) Act 2004.
A representative from the applicant’s employer, volunteer organisation or 'education provider' must complete and sign specific parts of a person’s WWC Check application form to verify the person applying is, or will be, engaged in 'child-related work' at their organisation.
Self-employed people do not need an employer or 'organisation representative' to sign their form.
A Sample WWC Check Application Form and Guide APP06: Completing a WWC Check Application Form can be found on our Resource page.
Nominate an alternate location for WWC notifications
Organisations can nominate to have WWC notifications sent to an alternate location and position, such as the HR Team at head office.
Organisation representatives should record this information under the postal address section in Part 6 of the application form.
A Sample WWC Check Application Form and Guide APP06: Completing a WWC Check Application Form can be found on our Resource page.
Lodge an application form
When lodging a WWC Check Application Form at an authorised Australia Post outlet the person must present certain documents to prove their identity, so the correct criminal record information is obtained.
The person will need to provide:
- a completed and signed WWC Check Application Form
- the required fee
- 100 points of identification.
A list of current identification documents accepted for WWC Checks can be found in the Sample WWC Check Application Form. If the required 100 points of identification cannot be met, please refer to the alternate lodgement process.
Unable to lodge in person (alternate lodgement)
The WWC Screening Unit offers an alternate lodgement process in exceptional circumstances for people who:
- live in a remote location in WA and cannot attend an authorised Australia Post outlet due to distance
- cannot attend an authorised Australia Post outlet due to a physical or psychological condition
- live interstate and cannot attend an authorised Australia Post outlet in their state
- live overseas or
- are unable to meet the required 100 points of identification.
People who live interstate or overseas who are coming to WA and will be engaging in child-related work should lodge their WWC Check application upon their arrival in WA.
Please contact the WWC Screening Unit to discuss your specific circumstances and whether you are eligible for alternate lodgement.
Fees
Current fees for a WWC Check are:
- $87.00 - for employees and self-employed people
- $11.00 - for volunteers, unpaid people, students on unpaid placement and for a replacement card.
Please note: The fee for a WWC Check does not include GST.
If a person is engaged in 'child-related work' both as a 'volunteer' and a 'paid' employee, they must apply or renew as a paid employee.
Where a WWC Check application or renewal is made in error, refunds are not provided unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Working with a pending application (receipt)
The application receipt is proof a person has a pending application and, in most cases, allows them to start or continue 'child-related work'. An application receipt is valid for as long as it takes for an outcome to be made and can be used as proof of lodgement for employers, volunteer organisations or 'education providers'.
Please note: A person with a pending charge or conviction for a 'Class 1 offence' committed as an adult cannot commence child-related work until a full assessment has been completed. A person with a current 'Interim Negative Notice' or 'Negative Notice' cannot engage in child-related work.
The WWC Screening Unit processes applications and renewals as quickly as possible, however there can be many reasons for delays in receiving an outcome. If there are concerns about the length of time an application is pending, please check the WWC application’s status online to confirm it is still pending, then contact the WWC Screening Unit.
Accessing your WWC Check application receipt
If a hardcopy application was lodged, the WWC Screening Unit cannot provide a copy of the receipt as they can only be provided at the time of lodgement by Australia Post. The person’s employer, volunteer organisation or 'education provider' may be able to provide a copy of their receipt, if they have previously been provided with a copy and they have maintained good record keeping practices.
A copy of the online renewal receipt can be accessed through the person’s online WWC account.
Renew a WWC Card
A WWC Card expires after three years and must be renewed before the expiry date if the person is continuing to engage in 'child-related work'. A WWC Card can be renewed up to three months prior to its expiry date. It is important to renew before the WWC Card expires, as it is an offence to engage in child-related work with an expired Card and no pending WWC Check application.
If a person is not continuing in child-related work after their WWC Card is due to expire, then they do not need to renew their WWC Card.
There are two ways for a person to renew their WWC Card:
- complete a WWC Check Application Form (see above) or
- complete an online renewal, if eligible.
Online renewal eligibility
A person is eligible to renew their WWC Card online if:
- their current WWC Card has not yet expired
- they are continuing to engage in child-related work
- their previous two renewals were not lodged online
- they are not changing their name, date of birth, gender or WWC Card photo.
Lodging an online renewal
Online renewals can be lodged through a person’s WWC account. This link can also be used to retrieve a lost username or password.
Individuals can register for a WWC account provided the WWC Screening Unit has a record of their WA Driver’s Licence number.
Contact the WWC Screening Unit for assistance logging in or creating a new WWC account.
Please note: The person’s employer, volunteer organisation or 'education provider' should be informed that the person is renewing online and agree to confirm the person’s 'child-related work' using the online renewal process.
Confirming an online renewal
An online renewal is an alternative to a hardcopy WWC Check application where a signature from an 'organisation representative' is required.
Once an online renewal is submitted, the nominated organisation representative will receive an email containing a link to follow to complete their registration and verify the person’s 'child-related work'. The organisation representative has three weeks in which to do this. Once confirmed to be engaging in child-related work, the person’s application will continue processing and the application information will no longer be accessible by the organisation representative.
If you have been nominated by someone as their organisation representative to verify their child-related work and you are not sure whether you should perform this function, we recommend that you speak with your 'organisation'.
Withdrawing an application
A person may withdraw their application for a WWC Check at any time before a final decision is made except where they have been issued an 'Interim Negative Notice' for that application.
Once an application has been withdrawn the person cannot engage in 'child-related work'.
Depending on the person’s particular circumstances, if they intend to engage in child-related work in the future they may need to apply for a WWC Check.
Application fees are not refunded if a person withdraws their application.
It is an offence to engage in child-related work without a current WWC Card or pending application and penalties apply.
To request that your application be withdrawn email the WWC Screening Unit with the following information:
- full name
- date of birth
- address
- phone number
- application number
- confirm/declare that you are no longer engaging in any child-related work
- include the title 'Withdraw WWC Check application' in the subject line.
Alternatively send your request by post to:
Manager Screening and Assessment, WWC Screening Unit, PO Box 8553, PERTH BC WA 6849.
The WWC Screening Unit will contact the person once the request to withdraw has been received to discuss their circumstances. Written confirmation of a withdrawal will be sent to the person, and notification of the withdrawal may be sent to the person’s employer, volunteer organisation or 'education provider'.
