Why it is a requirement to have a police check for nursing job?

Jobs in the aged and nursing care sectors have become rampant in Australia. Your role in aged care might involve tasks such as having to assist in the household tasks in general, care, emotional support or to provide company to the disabled and aged people and thus, a police check online might be a must before you get employed.

Any work that tends to involve to have contact with the children, a disadvantaged adult or one who requires special care, protection or support due to disability, age or risk of neglect or abuse, or an adult that is accessing services which are provided to people who are disadvantaged might be qualified as working with the group that is vulnerable and a need to get  apolice check before getting employed.

With the rapid population growth, there seems to be an increase in the threat to safety to the Austrian people but also an increase in the need for care givers in the health sector also. Safety tends to be the main reason why the police check in aged care institutions is an important part of this particular industry in Australia.

Police checking falls under which act for care givers?

In Australia, the department of Aging and Health is the one that implemented the requirement for police clearance for the aged care organizations which are commonwealth funded.  Or providers who are approved in the year 2007 under the 1997 age care act.

In the year 2009, the act was able to be expanded further to be part of the continuing effort of the government of Australia to be able to protect the security, health, and the wellbeing of the beneficiaries of vulnerability of the aged. Later on, the police check guidelines certificates were developed in assisting the providers who were approved and they were able to get updated in 2017.

The guidelines are being implemented to be able to complement the thorough practices of recruitment. It states that it is a part of the providers who are approved responsibility to make sure that all their volunteers and staff are appropriate to take care of the elderly.

What is the main requirement?

For the approved providers, they have to make sure that the individuals who apply for jobs in the care for the aged have to obtain a police check – NPC. The certificate has to be obtained with the details included:

  • The name of the applicant in full with the date of birth
  • The date the certificate is issued
  • A reference number that is used for verification purposes
  • If for some reason the approved providers are unable to meet the guidelines of the police certificate, they might end up facing the compliance action which is under the act

Who is supposed to get a police clearance?

Individuals who happen to be working in the industry where they have to obtain a police check include:

  • Staff members who happen to be over 16 years and can have either unsupervised or supervised access to the care of the aged.
  • Volunteers who are more than 16 years who have unsupervised access to the carers of the aged.

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