• Section 1 - Purpose
• Section 2 - Policy
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Part A - Supervisor
• Determine Whether a Staff Member Requires a Working with Children Check
• Part B - Staffing Advisor
• Obtain a Declaration Form
• Prospective Staff Member
• Prospective Volunteer
• Part C - Supervisor
• Existing Staff Member and Volunteer
• Part D - Staff Member/ Volunteer (in high-risk position)
• Apply for a Working with Children Check
• Part E - Volunteer (in low-risk position)
• Part F - Faculty / Office Human Resources Representative
• Process a Working with Children Check Request
• Part G - Staffing Advisor
• Request Background Check
• Part H - Manager, Strategic Resourcing and Talent
• Perform Risk Assessment
• Part I - Staff Member
• Handle a Child Abuse Allegation
• Report Child Abuse
• Part J - Supervisor
• Part K - Chief People Officer
• Maintain Confidentiality
• Part L - Staff Member
• Obtain Permission to Bring a Child on Campus
• Request Permission
• Part M - Student
• Part N - Supervisor
• Review and Approve a Request
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) To outline the roles and responsibilities related to children at Macquarie University.

Section 2 - Policy

(2) Refer to the Children at Macquarie University Policy.

Section 3 - Procedures

(3) This Procedure (Children at Macquarie University Procedure)requires actions by the following:

1. Chief People Officer;
2. Faculty / Office Human Resources representative;
3. Manager, Strategic Resourcing and Talent;
4. Staffing Advisor;
5. staff member;
6. student;
7. supervisor; and
8. volunteer.

(4) This Procedure covers the following activities:

1. determine whether a staff member requires a Working with Children Check;
2. obtain a Declaration Form;
3. apply for a Working with Children Check;
4. process a Working with Children Check request;
5. handle a Child Abuse Allegation; and
6. obtain permission to bring a child on campus.

Part A - Supervisor

Determine Whether a Staff Member Requires a Working with Children Check

(5) Perform a Working with Children Check for:

1. existing or prospective staff members whose position involves unsupervised contact with children; and
2. volunteers who work in high-risk roles, for example, where a volunteer mentors disadvantaged children in family-like relationships or provides intimate personal care.

(6) Note that you are not required to perform a Working with Children Check for:

1. academics who teach or tutor students under the age of 18 years (generally first year students); and
2. volunteers of the University who work in low-risk roles.

(7) Seek advice from a Staffing Advisor before a new role is advertised, to determine whether a Working with Children Check is required. If so, include a statement in the job advertisement to advise prospective applicants of this requirement.

(8) A Letter of Offer is subject to a satisfactory Working with Children Check. You may complete a check for a staff member once they have signed a Letter of Offer and before they commence employment.  

Part B - Staffing Advisor

Obtain a Declaration Form

Prospective Staff Member

(9) Send a prospective staff member an Applicant Declaration and Consent form with the Letter of Offer.

Prospective Volunteer

(10) Send a volunteer who is in a high-risk position the Applicant Declaration and Consent form.

(11) Send a volunteer who is not in a high-risk position a Volunteer Declaration form. 

(12) Receive and file completed forms from prospective staff and volunteers.

Part C - Supervisor

Existing Staff Member and Volunteer

(13) Provide an existing staff member or volunteer who is in a high-risk position with an Applicant Declaration and Consent form.

(14) Provide a volunteer who is not in a high-risk position with a Volunteer Declaration form.

(15) Contact your Faculty / Office Human Resources representative for assistance where necessary.

Part D - Staff Member/ Volunteer (in high-risk position)

Apply for a Working with Children Check

(16) Complete an Applicant Declaration and Consent form.

(17) Complete a Proof of Identity for Working with Children Check form. Have your identification (ID) documents certified and dated, in your Faculty / Office.

(18) Forward forms, and certified copies of your ID, to your Faculty / Office Human Resources representative.

Part E - Volunteer (in low-risk position)

(19) Complete a Volunteer Declaration form.

(20) Forward the form to the Faculty / Office Human Resources representative.

Part F - Faculty / Office Human Resources Representative

Process a Working with Children Check Request

(21) Check the Proof of Identity for Working with Children Check form or Volunteer Declaration form to ensure that sufficient and appropriate forms of ID have been provided.

(22) Sight the certified copies of the ID documents.

(23) Send the ID documentation and completed Applicant Declaration and Consent form to the Staffing Advisor to complete the background check.

(24) Send the ID documentation and completed Volunteer Declaration form to the Staffing Advisor for filing.

(25) When notified by the Staffing Advisor, advise the supervisor and the applicant of the outcome of the background check.

Part G - Staffing Advisor

Request Background Check

(26) Receive Applicant Declaration and Consent form and copies of ID documents.

(27) Complete an Employer Request for Background Check to request a Working with Children Check.

(28) Scan and email to esumail@bkesu.det.nsw.edu.au the following completed documents:

1. Employer Request for Background Check;
2. Application Declaration and Consent; and
3. Working with Children Check spreadsheet including the details of the new staff member.

(29) Stamp hard copies of the Application Declaration and Consent form, the copies of ID and the Employer Request for Background Check with “Scanned and Emailed [Date]” and file in the staff member’s file.

(30) Once the background check has been completed, notify the Faculty / Office Human Resources representative and the staff member of the outcome.

(31) Escalate any issues with the Working with Children Check to the Chief People Officer.

Part H - Manager, Strategic Resourcing and Talent

Perform Risk Assessment

(32) Perform a risk assessment where a prospective staff member’s check reveals any matter that should be taken into consideration prior to engagement with the University.

(33) Submit a report to the Chief People Officer on the assessed level of risk of employing the prospective staff member.

(34) Take proactive measures to minimise any risk to any child or children identified in an allegation of child abuse.

Part I - Staff Member

Handle a Child Abuse Allegation

Report Child Abuse

(35) Report any matter relating to the safety of a child in the University’s care to your supervisor, ensuring all subjects of allegations are identifiable (i.e. both the alleged victim and the person accused of child abuse).

Part J - Supervisor

(36) Report any child abuse matter to the Chief People Officer.

Part K - Chief People Officer

(37) Determine the nature of an allegation and comply with the mandatory reporting requirements in relation to allegations of child abuse, as follows:

1. when deciding not to engage a prospective staff member as a result of the findings of a Working with Children Check, notify and submit all information to the Office of the Children’s Guardian;
2. provide details of child abuse allegations/convictions against staff members to the Office of the Children’s Guardian except where the allegation has been proven to be vexatious or false;
3. notify the Communities and Justice (NSW) and/or the police of any allegations of child abuse or if there is concern that a child is at risk of serious harm; and
4. advise the relevant supervisor when initiating disciplinary proceedings against a staff member involved in an allegation of child abuse, in accordance with the Macquarie University Enterprise Agreements.

Maintain Confidentiality

(38) Maintain the confidentiality of the parties. Details of the allegation should only be made available to the external bodies listed above, investigators nominated by the University and/or the Police. This will protect both the rights of the child and the staff member involved.

Part L - Staff Member

Obtain Permission to Bring a Child on Campus

Request Permission

(39) You should always obtain permission from your supervisor before a child is brought into the workplace.

(40) You may only make a request to bring a child into the workplace due to unexpected changes to normal family / childcare arrangements, and not in lieu of having ongoing childcare arrangements in place.

(41) When discussing with your supervisor, you would normally be expected to have explored alternative options to bringing a child on campus, such as:

1. utilising time in lieu;
2. taking time off on the understanding the time will be made up at a later time;
3. using personal leave or annual leave; or
4. working from home, where possible.

Part M - Student

(42) Obtain permission for a child to attend a University class from the staff member in charge of that class, prior to the commencement of the class.

(43) If a child is unreasonably disruptive during the class, the staff member in charge may ask you and the child to leave the class.

Part N - Supervisor

Review and Approve a Request

(44) Review and approve a staff request in accordance with the Flexible Work Policy.

(45) If you are a staff member in charge of a class, approve or decline a student request at your discretion.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(46) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(47) Nil.