❓ WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding the Working with Children screening unit, covering application processing times, volumes, and staffing levels for 2014-15 and 2015-16. The response provides detailed data on these metrics.
AnsweredQoN 4135Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Working with Children screening unit, and I ask: (a) for each month in 2014-15 and 2015-16 to date, how many Working with Children card applications were processed; (b) what was the mean processing time for an application in 2014-15 and in 2015-16 to date; (c) what was the longest processing time for an application in 2014-15 and in 2015-16 to date; and (d) what was the number of staff employed by the Working with Children screening unit as at the following dates: (i) 1 July 2014; (ii) 1 September 2014; (iii) 1 January 2015; (iv) 1 March 2015; (v) 1 July 2015; (vi) 1 September 2015; (vii) 1 January 2016; and (viii) 1 March 2016?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
29 June 2016
Responded by
Minister for Planning representing the Minister for Child Protection
Response time
49 days
(a)
All WWC applications are processed on receipt and further processing, including assessment, occurs until there is a final outcome.
Month/Year
Application Receipts (initial processing)
Completed Applications
(finalised decisions)
July 2014
8,738
9,457
August 2014
9,440
9,720
September 2014
7,582
8,929
October 2014
7,915
8,816
November 2014
7,250
6,421
December 2014
5,568
5,626
January 2015
6,120
6,648
February 2015
14,382
11,219
March 2015
12,950
13,327
April 2015
10,075
10,509
May 2015
11,846
11,774
June 2015
10,066
12,042
July 2015
11,112
12,376
August 2015
11,480
12,238
September 2015
9,596
9,631
October 2015
9,222
8,594
November 2015
7,599
8,245
December 2015
6,630
6,729
January 2016
8,905
7,247
February 2016
15,443
15,397
March 2016
12,601
12,759
April 2016
10,630
10,720
(b)
No Record <=30 days
Record <=60 days
2014/15
91%
89%
2015 – Mar 2016
99%
97%
The KPI is to process most applications with no criminal record within 30 days and those with a criminal record within 60 days.
Where there is a criminal record, details of this and other information relevant to risk must be obtained and assessed.
The WWC Act also requires that, if a negative notice is proposed, the applicant is given at least 28 days to make a submission which must then be considered. This may also involve obtaining further information before a final decision is made.
The mean processing times are as follows:
Where there was no criminal record received the mean processing times to final outcome :
2014/15 – 10 calendar days
2015/16 to April 30- four calendar days
Where there was a criminal record the mean processing times to final outcome:
2014/15- 36 calendar days
2015/16 to April 30- 18 calendar days
(c)
While the KPIs show that over 90% of applications are finalised in a timely manner there will always be outliers where there are anomalous issues, such as difficulties contacting the applicant, receipt of inaccurate information or difficulties sourcing information. About 1% of applications take more than 6 months to finalise
Of over 114 000 applications finalised in 2014/15 the longest took 26 months to complete. The reasons for this included a court outcome during the assessment where the applicant was not convicted for a violent offence, was subsequently charged for other offences that had to be followed up and was hard to contact. The applicant was issued with a negative notice.
Of close to 104 000 applications finalised in 2015/16 to 30/05/16, the longest took 26 months. The reasons for this included the WWC Screening Unit receiving incomplete and inaccurate information about the person’s identity and his alleged interstate criminal record that took substantial time to clarify. The applicant was issued with a WWC Card.
(d) The actual full time equivalent (FTE) usage of staff employed by the Working with Children screening unit for the following dates are:
(i) 1 July 2014; 47.6 FTE
(ii) 1 September 2014; 46.2 FTE
(iii) 1 January 2015; 46.7 FTE
(iv) 1 March 2015; 43.8 FTE
(v) 1 July 2015; 44.0 FTE
(vi) 1 September 2015; 43.0 FTE
(vii) 1 January 2016; and 43.0 FTE
(viii) 1 March 2016 44.2 FTE
All WWC applications are processed on receipt and further processing, including assessment, occurs until there is a final outcome.
Month/Year
Application Receipts (initial processing)
Completed Applications
(finalised decisions)
July 2014
8,738
9,457
August 2014
9,440
9,720
September 2014
7,582
8,929
October 2014
7,915
8,816
November 2014
7,250
6,421
December 2014
5,568
5,626
January 2015
6,120
6,648
February 2015
14,382
11,219
March 2015
12,950
13,327
April 2015
10,075
10,509
May 2015
11,846
11,774
June 2015
10,066
12,042
July 2015
11,112
12,376
August 2015
11,480
12,238
September 2015
9,596
9,631
October 2015
9,222
8,594
November 2015
7,599
8,245
December 2015
6,630
6,729
January 2016
8,905
7,247
February 2016
15,443
15,397
March 2016
12,601
12,759
April 2016
10,630
10,720
(b)
No Record <=30 days
Record <=60 days
2014/15
91%
89%
2015 – Mar 2016
99%
97%
The KPI is to process most applications with no criminal record within 30 days and those with a criminal record within 60 days.
Where there is a criminal record, details of this and other information relevant to risk must be obtained and assessed.
The WWC Act also requires that, if a negative notice is proposed, the applicant is given at least 28 days to make a submission which must then be considered. This may also involve obtaining further information before a final decision is made.
The mean processing times are as follows:
Where there was no criminal record received the mean processing times to final outcome :
2014/15 – 10 calendar days
2015/16 to April 30- four calendar days
Where there was a criminal record the mean processing times to final outcome:
2014/15- 36 calendar days
2015/16 to April 30- 18 calendar days
(c)
While the KPIs show that over 90% of applications are finalised in a timely manner there will always be outliers where there are anomalous issues, such as difficulties contacting the applicant, receipt of inaccurate information or difficulties sourcing information. About 1% of applications take more than 6 months to finalise
Of over 114 000 applications finalised in 2014/15 the longest took 26 months to complete. The reasons for this included a court outcome during the assessment where the applicant was not convicted for a violent offence, was subsequently charged for other offences that had to be followed up and was hard to contact. The applicant was issued with a negative notice.
Of close to 104 000 applications finalised in 2015/16 to 30/05/16, the longest took 26 months. The reasons for this included the WWC Screening Unit receiving incomplete and inaccurate information about the person’s identity and his alleged interstate criminal record that took substantial time to clarify. The applicant was issued with a WWC Card.
(d) The actual full time equivalent (FTE) usage of staff employed by the Working with Children screening unit for the following dates are:
(i) 1 July 2014; 47.6 FTE
(ii) 1 September 2014; 46.2 FTE
(iii) 1 January 2015; 46.7 FTE
(iv) 1 March 2015; 43.8 FTE
(v) 1 July 2015; 44.0 FTE
(vi) 1 September 2015; 43.0 FTE
(vii) 1 January 2016; and 43.0 FTE
(viii) 1 March 2016 44.2 FTE
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