Careseekers Police Check Policy

Where relevant, Careseekers has followed the Police Certificates Guidelines drafted by the Aged Care Quality and Compliance Group and NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission in drafting this policy.

To register with Careseekers, a care or support worker must have obtained a police check certificate in the 12 months prior to registration. 

Once registered with Careseekers, a care or support worker's police check certificate must be renewed every three years. 

Care workers who have no convictions on their National Police Check Certificate can register with Careseekers. 

Offences that preclude a person from registering with Careseekers

The offences that preclude a person from registering with Careseekers are:

• A conviction for murder or sexual assault; or
• A conviction of, and sentence to imprisonment for, any other form of assault. 

Please note, the reference to being sentenced to imprisonment for any other form of assault is intended to preclude only the more serious forms of physical assault.

Assessing other offences

Where a care or support worker's National Police Check Certificate records convictions do not preclude registration from Careseekers, the Careseekers Care Team will assess on an individual basis whether this care or support worker may register with the platform. The following will be taken into account while making this assessment:

Relevance: the type of conviction in relation to the duties a person is, or may be undertaking. Does the criminal record information indicate that a person is unable to perform the inherent requirements of the particular job. 

Proportionality: whether excluding a person from employment is proportional to the type of conviction. 

Timing: when the conviction occurred. 

Employment history: whether an individual has been employed since the conviction and the outcome of referee checks with any such employers. 

Individual's information: the findings of any assessment reports following attendance at treatment or intervention programs, or other references, and the individual's attitude to the offending behaviour.

Pattern: Whether the conviction represents an isolated incident or pattern of criminality. 

Likelihood: The problem of an incident occurring if the person continues with, or is employed for, particular duties.

Care and support workers must inform Careseekers if they are convicted of an offence in the three years between obtaining and renewing their police check. Failure to do so is a breach of this policy and will result in immediate removal from the platform. 

If a person feels they have been discriminated against based on their criminal record in a registration decision made by Careseekers, they may make a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission. Further information on discrimination on the basis of criminal record is available on the website of the Australian Human Rights Commission. 

This policy was last revised on 14 March 2019.