Police Checks for Aged Care Workers

The Federal Government has released a national timetable for introducing police checks for aged care workers in 2007.

The timetable also includes the specific requirements that will apply to aged care providers, their employees and volunteers under the new arrangements.

Under the scheme the police check requirement will be implemented progressively:

– 1 March 2007, new employees and volunteers in Australian Government subsidised aged care services will be required to undergo police checks;
– 1 June, existing staff required to have had a police check or have submitted an application to the police;
– 1 September, existing volunteers will be required to have a police check or have submitted an application to the police by 1 September;
– 30 September – providers are required to have provided a one-off compliance declaration to DoHA.

Other features include:

– Amendments to the Aged Care Principles legislation also require Police checks for contractors who have unsupervised access to care recipients, including aged care staff employed through an agency.
– People will be precluded from employment in aged care if their police check shows a conviction for murder or sexual assault, or a conviction for any other form of assault which resulted in a prison sentence.
– Police checks must be less than three years old.
– In the case of less serious convictions, aged care providers must have procedures in place for assessing the person’s suitability for employment in aged care. Policies must consider the position held by the employee and the level of risk to care recipients, including the extent of direct and unsupervised contact.
– Refusal to obtain a police certificate will also preclude a person from employment in aged care.

For more information go to: /www.health.gov.au