24 March 2011

Background checks coming in for volunteers

| johnboy
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Minister for Community Services Joy Burch is explaining the impact of her plans to bring in background checks for volunteers working with vulnerable people, including children.

Checks for employees will incur a small, Government-subsidised and tax-deductible fee of $71, while volunteers will not be charged. Registrations will have to be renewed every three years.

“If you work with children or vulnerable adults more than 7 days in a year then you will have to get checked,” Ms Burch said.

It will be interesting to see if the good this does balances out the deterrence it will have on people helping each other out.

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A recent interviewee on ABC radio national addressing this topic said that approximately 80% of convictions for offences against children and vulnerable people were against people with no prior record.

This is a nice idea, but I’d be curious to see how effective it is really. Presumably better than nothing, but not as good as many people think. If anything, it’s something to hide behind legally for organisations who encounter issues in this space (“but they did the police check…”).

justin heywood9:19 pm 01 Aug 14

dungfungus said :

HiddenDragon said :

Detailed checks were obviously very useful (not) in this case:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-23/child-sex-abuse-allegations-vigilance-the-key-say-protection-ad/5616624

The ABC only tells half the story. Read about who supported this low-life:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/union-defended-alleged-abuser/story-fn59noo3-1227006346836#mm-premium

Lol. Now why would our national broadcaster omit that little detail?

No wonder they can’t stand the Murdoch press.

dianak said :

Schools are losing a lot of volunteers since this came into effect, it seems the exemptions for parents to volunteer 4 times a year without a stasi pass is being ignored by schools, saying it’s an administrative burden to track, so they’re requiring security checks even for single events such as barbecues. Add to that the ACT Gallagher license we would’ve needed to cook up some snags, you get the picture of a nanny state creating more and more public servant jobs (20,000 public servants running the ACT at the moment).

The cost benefit analysis on both these schemes (school volunteers and barbecue volunteers) didn’t show a need for them but Labor introduced them, at the expense of disadvantaging communities and schools. More public servants hired and less involvement of parents in children’s school activities. This type of nanny state legislation follows the old socialists history of keeping parents away from their children to allow indoctrination to have a maximum affect.

The NDIS won’t use volunteers.
Every carer will have to have a diploma and a union ticket. This has been one of Labor’s greatest job training/job/union creation schemes ever.
The NDIS will end up costing twice as much as budgeted for and the ones receiving the care may not see their situation improve commensurately with the amount of money to be spent.

Are MLA’s background checked?

Schools are losing a lot of volunteers since this came into effect, it seems the exemptions for parents to volunteer 4 times a year without a stasi pass is being ignored by schools, saying it’s an administrative burden to track, so they’re requiring security checks even for single events such as barbecues. Add to that the ACT Gallagher license we would’ve needed to cook up some snags, you get the picture of a nanny state creating more and more public servant jobs (20,000 public servants running the ACT at the moment).

The cost benefit analysis on both these schemes (school volunteers and barbecue volunteers) didn’t show a need for them but Labor introduced them, at the expense of disadvantaging communities and schools. More public servants hired and less involvement of parents in children’s school activities. This type of nanny state legislation follows the old socialists history of keeping parents away from their children to allow indoctrination to have a maximum affect.

Affirmative Action Man12:11 pm 01 Aug 14

I have 3 boys at a local secondary school & have coached & managed several of their teams over the last few years. I thought I would help out the soccer committee as they are short staffed – purely an administrative role attending meetings & lots of paperwork.

Was told I would now need a background check. Note I’m not training them or taking teams away or having any contact with them so I reckon its just absurd. I can’t be bothered getting a check so I won’t be involved with the committee.

You’re assuming ALL taxi drivers have a taxi licence

It’s illegal to drive a cab if you are not licensed to do so. Did you really not know this?

“Part of getting and maintaining a taxi drivers license was, and I presume still is, a compulsory police check.”

You’re assuming ALL taxi drivers have a taxi licence

The only explanation for the jacked-up price is either massive bureaucracy, our if you want to help people, then Joy wants your fingerprints on file.
And she’ll hit you with a $1100 fine if you change address and don’t tell her within a fortnight.
(Read her Bill, and overall wasn’t impressed)

Fiona said :

Also agree with the taxi comment in part, as there are a number of students with disabilities being transported to school by taxi currently, often alone.

Part of getting and maintaining a taxi drivers license was, and I presume still is, a compulsory police check. Just a tax on employment.

Taxi drivers are also required to pass annual medical examinations, but with the private pilots license, it was every two years. I often wondered why this difference. Pity governments can’t get their act together and stop stuffing up people with their bureaucratic nonsense.

Will this include say, parents doing reading groups at school?

Also agree with the taxi comment in part, as there are a number of students with disabilities being transported to school by taxi currently, often alone.

$49 even, clearly I have some seriously chubby fingers…

It seems costs have come down in the past few years.

This seems to be just the minimum police check that a lot of volunteer organisations and the department of education already require.

It is not clear from the press release whether it is just a search of ACT records (cost less than $100) or a search of all records Australia-wide (cost >$150). The aim is to make sure those who have been caught once will never get another go.

Why is it Government subsidised to $71 when an AFP National Police Check for Non-Govt entities already costs only $41, and the Code 37 check can be used for circumstances where employment is could include Care, instruction or supervision of children/ Care of intellectually disabled persons/ Aged Care staff/volunteers?
(Code 37 includes: Unspent offences, offences against the person and i) a sexual offence; or (ii) any other offence against the person if the victim of the offence was under 18 at the time the offence was committed)

georgesgenitals10:18 am 24 Mar 11

Police checks and child protection training have already been required by a number of volunteer organisations for some years now. Although it adds overhead and cost, I still think this is a good thing.

This should also apply to taxi drivers if they have contact with children or vulnerable adults.
A former work colleague of my wife’s was a “vulnerable adult” and had been touched inappropriately by a number of taxi drivers. She was too scared to make an official complaint.

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