Child Protection Screening

In reply to Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (26 July 2016).

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills): I have been advised:

The Department for Education and Child Development has a clear screening and suitability child safety policy and procedure that outlines, amongst other things, what is required before any person may be permitted to participate in a school as a volunteer, including parents.

The screening and suitability child safety policy is supported by additional child safe policies and procedures that support volunteer participation and aim to ensure their safety and the safety of children and young people. Additional requirements include participation in 'Responding to Abuse and Neglect' training, induction, adherence to the public sector code of conduct and supervision.

The screening and suitability child safety policy and procedure aims to support the department in meeting its paramount responsibility for the safety of children and young people and to limit the possibility that unsuitable people are engaged with our children and young people involved with its sites and services.

A screening through the government authorised screening unit, located in the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion, is required for all parent volunteers, unless their child is in direct receipt of the services being provided. For example, screening is required for parent volunteers who are working with children with a disability and/or attending overnight camps, school sleepovers, billets, homestays and sport coaching (where the volunteers are not a parent of a child in the sports team).

Undergoing a screening is only one aspect of assessing a volunteer's suitability to work with children. Site leaders, such as school principals, must ensure a suitability assessment has been undertaken before a parent or guardian can volunteer in a school. This suitability assessment enables site leaders to consider a person's screening, along with any other relevant information including but not limited to character references, interviews and assessments in accordance with the department's policy and procedure. Where a suitability assessment has deemed a person unsuitable to work with children and young people, site leaders have the right to decline their application to volunteer.

The recently enacted Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016 was drafted to strengthen the background checking of people who want to work or volunteer with children in line with the recommendations of the Nyland royal commission.

The legislation removes the current 'two tiered' approach to screening and prohibits people who pose an unacceptable risk to children from working or volunteering with them.

The government is now preparing regulations for public consultation, including making it clear when parental exemption provisions will apply. The Department for Education and Child Development will have ongoing input into this process.