Information Booklet - Country Fire Authority

INTRODUCTIONWhen raised, the topic of child abuse often stirsunease. Knowledge followed by action is the bestsolution to this reaction.Protecting children from harm is a sharedresponsibility between the family, the generalcommunity, community agencies, and professionalsworking with children, police and government.Each has a significant role to play in ensuring thesafety and wellbeing of children and young people.By understanding the underlying nature of thiscriminal offence and identifying vulnerable situationsin which a child/young person may be placed at risk,as an organisation CFA has designed safeguardstailored to our needs to ensure that all of ourmembers feel safe and empowered to prevent theabuse of children/young people in our care.What is the Working withChildren Check?The Working with Children Check (WWCC) is aninitiative by the Department of Justice to furtherprotect children in Victoria. It’s a mandatory checkingsystem for people who work or volunteer inchild-related work.The WWCC helps protect children from sexualor physical harm by checking a person’s criminalhistory for serious sexual, serious violence orserious drug offences and findings from professionaldisciplinary bodies. It is different from a police recordcheck and is continually monitored for new relevantoffences or findings.The Check is conducted by the Department ofJustice and Application Forms are available atall Australia Post Offices. The check is free forvolunteers and is valid for 5 years.Who in CFA needs a Check?The Working with Children Check does not apply toall volunteers who have contact with children,only those who have regular unsupervised directcontact with children in child-related work.For CFA that is those Brigade members nominatedto the position of Junior Leader(Refer JVDP Guidebook).No other CFA volunteer is required to obtain aWWCC, including deliverers of programs such asJFAIP, Fire Safe Kids/Youth, Mobile Education Unit,Advance or VCAL, due to all of these programsbeing supervised by employees of the Departmentof Education or in the case of JFAIP in the presenceof parents or guardians.CFA Children/ Young Persons Protection Policy Information BookletEdition 2 – May 20131