You must have a working with children check (WWCC) before starting employment or professional experience placement in the Department for Education. Some volunteers will also require a working with children check. You need to apply for a working with children check yourself from the Department of Human Services (DHS) Screening Unit.

You are required to maintain a current WWCC that must be updated every 5 years. Current, valid child-related employment screening checks done by DHS will be recognised until they expire.

If an employee has a student WWCC, it is valid until it expires. Before expiry, the employee must have a general WWCC in place. Employees are encouraged to apply for their new WWCC 6 months before their current child-related employment screening expires. A volunteer WWCC issued after 1 July 2019 is not a valid check for paid employment with the department.

See about a working with children check to find out what the check is and for more instruction on who needs to have the check.

Teacher applications

Teachers are required to have a working with children check when applying to renew their teacher registration through the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia.

Applicants, students and volunteers

Applicants seeking employment, students or volunteers can apply for a working with children check through the DHS Screening Unit online application.

Current employees

Teachers must submit their own applications through the DHS Screening Unit online application to maintain their teachers' registration.

Permanent corporate and ancillary employees should see employee and volunteer working with children check – information for leaders and managers (staff login required) for the application process.

All other employees must submit their own applications through the DHS Screening Unit online application.

Prospective employees

If you are a prospective employee or applying for an Authority to Teach or Work through the employable teacher register (ETR) or the employable ancillary register (EAR), you will need to apply personally for your WWCC through the DHS Screening Unit.

A volunteer WWCC issued after 1 July 2019 is not a valid check for paid employment with the department. Where a volunteer applies for work as an employee, they must contact the DHS Screening Unit and upgrade their WWCC.

Costs

Refer to the DHS Screening Unit fees and payments page for WWCC costs.

Get help with
working with children checks

Professional experience placements in SA government schools, preschools and centres

If you are doing a professional experience placement you must have a working with children check before you start your placement. See professional experience placements in SA government schools, preschools and centres for more details.

Swimming and aquatics instructor applications

If you're a swimming and aquatics instructor, see child related employment screening for swimming and aquatics staff for application instructions and costs.

Processing times

The DHS Screening unit completes most check applications within 3 weeks. It can take longer if there's a lot of information to assess or it's complex.

The department recommends that you apply for your WWCC renewal at least 3 to 6 months before your current check expires to make sure that your WWCC does not expire before you receive your renewed screening. If your current check expires before you have received your new check, you will be directed off site and will not be able to return to work until you have a new WWCC.