Background checking, including criminal records, is routinely used to screen many potential volunteers for suitability in volunteer roles, particularly those working with vulnerable groups or in roles that have financial or driving responsibilities. 

This updated Quick Guide gives a run down of current state and territory requirements, costs and timeframes etc.  As information can change (eg: fees are often revised annually), the Quick Guide now includes website references so the most current information can be easily sourced.

Download Quick Guide: Background checks and volunteers

In 2006, the Victorian Government introduced a new checking system to help protect children under 18 years of age from physical or sexual harm.

The Working with Children (WWC) Check creates a mandatory minimum checking standard across Victoria. The WWC Check helps to keep children safe by preventing those who pose a risk to the safety of children from working with them, in either paid or volunteer work.

For more information refer to the Department of Justice website for more information on WWC Checks.

For a comprehensive recent report on the development and implementation of policy and legislation and an understanding of the difference across states refer to Pre-employment screening, Working with Children Checks and Police Checks report.

Updating your WWC details or checking status

Have you have moved house, changed jobs, or where you volunteer and need to update your details?To find out more information on updating your details (ie change of home address, organisation etc) refer to the Department of Justice website.

To check the status of a Working With Children card access this area of the Department of Justice website.

Keeping abreast with the ‘changing times’ is essential to ensure that volunteer programs can understand the recruitment market place. A recent report provides data on trends in volunteering in Australia and internationally. Snapshot 2004 also reports on the progress of the National Agenda on Volunteering: Beyond the International Year of Volunteers. The Agenda was released in 2001 following a national consultation process across all sectors.

The community building potential of volunteerism is a discussion paper that looks at the trends towards individualized volunteering and the negative aspects of this development in relation to community building.

The BOOMNET Baby Boomer research project was aimed at identifying the 'motivators and barriers' to volunteering along with developing strategies to encourage Baby Boomers to volunteer their services in the community.

Changes to the National Police Record Check process

As of Saturday, 1 November, 2008 the following changes will apply to the Victoria Police National Police Record Check process.

• A downloadable online application form will replace the current form.
• Applicants can download, complete and print the new online form.
• A 100-point identification check will be introduced.
• An authorised certifier is required to witness and certify identity documents and signature of applicant.
• The certificate will only be issued to the applicant.
• To increase protection of information released, the new certificate includes seven security features.

 Refer to the Victoria Police website for more information on the new National Police Record Check process.

Also, organisations can now complete Police Checks - faster, easier and more securely than ever before.  If your organisation is either based in Victoria or has an office in Victoria, you may be able to utilise Crimcheck- the automated police checking service, or access a flyer on using Crimcheck. Alternatively Fit2work also provides capacity to complete online National Police Checks.

Understanding what motivates your volunteer along with an understanding of the volunteer market place can assist your recruitment and planning process. Segmenting the Volunteer Market provides a valuable insight into the segmentation of the volunteer market place based on motivations of the volunteer.

Another valuable research project on understanding the motivations of volunteers is Developing the Volunteer Motivation Inventory paper.