Children’s Worker Safety Check

What is a Children’s Worker Safety Check?

A Children’s Worker Safety Check is a legislative requirement in New Zealand under the Children’s Act 2014 (the Act). The aim is to develop a safe and competent workforce who can better identify, support and protect children and other vulnerable individuals in the community. The safety checks are designed to identify people who pose a risk to children and prevent them from being employed in a position that provides care or support to a child.

Who needs to apply for a Children’s Worker Safety Check?

Government safety checking regulations in New Zealand made under the Act require all paid employees and contractors who work with children for state-funded organisations to complete a Children’s Worker Safety Check. The regulations also apply to people doing unpaid work with children in New Zealand as part of an education or vocational training course (such as trainees or students).

Businesses, unfunded non-government organisations, and voluntary organisations are not covered by the regulations, but are encouraged to adopt the new New Zealand working with children standards voluntarily.

How do I obtain a Children’s Worker Safety Check?

To ensure that the check you obtain satisfies the conditions of your current or intended employment, click one of the links below to see the specific instructions related to your industry or field of employment:

You can get a Children’s Worker Safety Check online and on-demand through CVCheck. Order your Children’s Worker Safety Check by clicking here.

What is the role of CVCheck in Children’s Worker Safety Checks?

CV Check (NZ) Ltd have been approved as a screening service to provide Children’s Workers Safety Checks for specific groups of children’s workers from the Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand, New Zealand Ministry of Education, New Zealand Ministry of Social Development and other organisations who require these working with children police checks.

As the provider of the Service, CV Check (NZ) Ltd will complete independent third-party safety checks on children’s workers in the health, education and social sectors. These safety checks involve gathering a range of key information about a person and evaluating this information to determine whether they pose any risk in being employed to work with children.

What checks are required for a Children’s Worker Safety Check?

The safety checks for new and existing employees, contractors or those who are self-employed include some or all of the following depending on the circumstances:

  • Identity Verification Check
  • New Zealand Police Vetting Check
  • Reference Check (professional or personal)
  • Employment Verification Check
  • Professional Membership Check
  • Interview with the Applicant
  • Risk Assessment

To select the correct Children’s Worker Checks for your circumstances, follow the links below:

How do I order a Children’s Worker Safety Check?

  1. Create a CVCheck Account
  2. Order the checks appropriate to your industry and occupation (see instructions above)
    • For checks related to one of the Ministries listed above, enter the appropriate Check Code for your industry in the Order Using a Check Code box.
    • Otherwise, click Order Checks and choose the Children’s Worker Package that corresponds to your circumstances from the General Employment instructions.
  3. Complete your personal details, and required forms and payment
  4. We will begin processing your order immediately and keep you updated along the way

What are the results of a Children’s Worker Safety Check?

Following the completion of a safety check, each applicant will be provided with a report regarding the outcome of their check. The result of a Children’s Worker Safety Check is either a clearance to work with children, or a notice of failure.

If you wish to appeal the outcome of your safety check, please contact us.

What are the benefits of ordering Children’s Worker Safety Checks through CVCheck?

Your completed Children’s Worker Safety Checks are yours to keep and share and are valid until the expiry date listed on your assessment certificate. It can be used to satisfy the obligations that you or your employer must meet under the Children’s Act (2014) and does not need to be re-ordered for work with a different employer or volunteer organisation (unless you work in the education sector, in which case please see specific details here).

Your results are securely stored online in your CVCheck account for you to access, download or share at any time. This means that you do not need to be re-screened until your certificate expires (excluding workers in the education sector). We will send you a reminder as your expiry date is approaching so that you can renew your certificate if required.

If you’d like to find out more about CVCheck’s unique features, you can do so here.

What if I still have questions?

If you have any further questions regarding CVCheck’s Children’s Worker Safety Checks, we’d be happy to help in any way we can – please contact us.