South Australia

Working with Children Checks

Any person 14 or older who works with children (whether paid or volunteer) must have a current Working with Children Check (WWCC). The definition of “working with children” includes, among other things:

Clubs and Associations providing services or activities with significant membership or involvement of children; and
Providing sport coaching or instruction to children.

However, a parent does not need a WWCC to do unpaid volunteer work which involves their own child--for example, a parent assisting with a Tackers course in which their own child is participating, would not need a WWCC. If the parent is paid, or does other child-related work, they will need a WWCC. Click here for more information on the exemptions.

If a person needs a WWCC, both the person and their employer (i.e. their Club or Discover Sailing Centre) are legally required to ensure that the person does have a WWCC.

There is no fee for volunteers to apply for a WWCC, but paid staff will have to pay a fee. A volunteer moving into child-related work must apply for new WWCC and pay the fee.

If you’re unsure about whether you need a WWCC, more information is available on the DCS Screening Unit website. You can also contact the Screening Unit by phone on 1300 321 592 or email at DHSScreeningUnit@sa.gov.au.

Information for Clubs

Employers (including organisations that have volunteers) have certain obligations under the law. They must:

Ensure anyone they engage has a valid WWCC, both before the person starts work and ongoing;
Verify the WWCCs of their volunteers and staff, via the DHS Screening Unit Online Portal (this will also send notifications if the person’s WWCC status changes)

Mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse

Certain people in South Australia are required by law to report to police if they suspect that a child or young person is at risk of physical, sexual, mental, or emotional abuse or harm. People required to report include, among others, employees or volunteers of an organisation that provides sporting or recreational services for children or young people, but only where the suspicion arises from the person’s work, and the person either:

provides those services to directly to children; or
holds a management position in the organisation and has direct responsibility for, or supervision of, those services.

There are limited exceptions to this requirement, such as where the person believes that the matter has already been reported. More information about these requirements is available from the SA Child Protection website.

Contacts

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 000. Otherwise, to make a report to police, call 131 444.

To report a suspected case of child abuse or neglect call the child abuse report line (CARL): 13 14 78. The report line is available 24 hours a day.