❓ Communities—Working with children screening unit 760. Hon Simon Ehrenfeld to the minister representing the Minister for Child Protection: I refer to the Department of Communities' public notice on wa.
AnsweredQoN 760Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Communities—Working with children screening unit
760. Hon Simon Ehrenfeld to the minister representing
the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the
Department of Communities' public notice on wa.gov.au that the working with
children screening units are experiencing extended delays in processing
applications, resulting in longer wait times and significant delays in
responses to emails, and also to its acknowledgement that allows a person to
begin or continue work with only a receipt of application.
(1) What immediate actions has the minister taken
to mitigate the potential risks to child safety being posed by this backlog?
(2) Can the minister please provide the FTE
staffing allocation of the screening unit as at both 1 January this year and
today's date?
760. Hon Simon Ehrenfeld to the minister representing
the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the
Department of Communities' public notice on wa.gov.au that the working with
children screening units are experiencing extended delays in processing
applications, resulting in longer wait times and significant delays in
responses to emails, and also to its acknowledgement that allows a person to
begin or continue work with only a receipt of application.
(1) What immediate actions has the minister taken
to mitigate the potential risks to child safety being posed by this backlog?
(2) Can the minister please provide the FTE
staffing allocation of the screening unit as at both 1 January this year and
today's date?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question. The following response has
been provided by the Minister for Child Protection.
The Department of
Communities advises:
(1)–(2) All working with children check applications
are triaged to determine the level of risk, with high-risk matters prioritised
for assessment. Should an immediate risk be identified, an interim negative
notice can be issued prohibiting that person from engaging in child-related
work until a full assessment is completed. In 2026, a new online application
portal will deliver a fully digital solution supporting a more efficient
application and renewal process. The working with children screening unit was
resourced with 43 FTE on 1 January 2025 and this allocation remains today.
honourable member for some notice of the question. The following response has
been provided by the Minister for Child Protection.
The Department of
Communities advises:
(1)–(2) All working with children check applications
are triaged to determine the level of risk, with high-risk matters prioritised
for assessment. Should an immediate risk be identified, an interim negative
notice can be issued prohibiting that person from engaging in child-related
work until a full assessment is completed. In 2026, a new online application
portal will deliver a fully digital solution supporting a more efficient
application and renewal process. The working with children screening unit was
resourced with 43 FTE on 1 January 2025 and this allocation remains today.
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