In accordance with its Screening Policy – the Archdiocese requires checks for:

• All Clergy & Religious Persons
  Individuals engaged to perform any ministry or hold a specific role of any kind with a Parish, School, Centacare Catholic Family Services, or other affiliated Catholic Agency.
   
• All Employees
  Individuals engaged for remuneration to perform a specific role of any kind with a Parish, School, Centacare Catholic Family Services, or other affiliated Catholic Agency.
   
• Regular Recognised Volunteers
  Individuals who have been assigned or given a regular role or responsibility within a Parish, School, Centacare Catholic Family Services, or other affiliated Catholic Agency.
  
  Please note that not every volunteer will be required to undergo a check, as it is dependent upon the following:
  • the type of service provided
  • frequency of attendance
  • the level of supervision available at the location  
     
• Regular Contractors
  Individuals who have been engaged for remuneration to perform a specific role in a Parish, School, Centacare Catholic Family Services, or other affiliated Catholic Agency.
  
  Please note that not every contractor will be required to undergo a check, as it is dependent upon the following: 

o   the type of service provided
o   frequency of attendance and
o   the level of supervision available at the location  

The Authorised Personnel at the location can advise whether a working with children check will be required.

The Integrity & Safeguarding Department, Safeguarding Operations arm is the central coordination point for all checks for the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide. 

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is a state funded department who conducts the check through an electronic process. 

The Authorised Personnel at individual locations, also known as Nominated Authorising Persons are nominated by the Archdiocese to assist in the raising of the Initiation Check Request Form (ICRF) and the verification of the individual’s identity.

The Individual, once the check is initiated, is required to go online, and complete the DHS electronic application.

All Applicants will be required to present directly to the location at which they wish to provide service with 100 points of identification (only original or certified true copies will be accepted) and an email address which will be used to enable the electronic application process to be completed.

Proof of identity must be presented prior to processing of this check. The NAP at the location must view the ORIGINAL identity documents or certified true copies (listed in Schedule 2 Statutory Declarations Regulations 1993). The documents must total 100 points and must include identification which contains a photograph.

Change of Name – If the name used to apply for the check is different from that shown on any of the Applicant’s personal identity documents, they must provide evidence of name change (e.g. Marriage/Change of Name Certificates from Government Births, Deaths, Marriages or Divorce papers issued by Family Court. These documents DO NOT count towards the 100-points.

Authorised Personnel at those locations will verify all identification documents, returning the original documents to you, then finalise the completion of the Initiation Check Request Form (ICRF). The authorised personnel at the location will then provide an instruction sheet to you to provide further information relating to the completion of the electronic application.

The ICRF form will then be forwarded to Safeguarding Operations for processing. Once the check has been electronically initiated by the Safeguarding Operations team, the Applicants will receive an activation email from Department of Human Services (DHS), then upon activation, a second email will be sent by them which has an ID and password along with the link to enter the DHS system. Upon completion of the processing, individuals will be provided with written notification as to their finalised status. 

The standard processing time is around 30 days. However, it can take longer than this depending on the relevance, complexity and amount of background information identified during the screening process.

Important note relating to the presentation of identification documents.

Acceptable forms of identity documents are listed on the Initiation Check Request Form. Only documents that are listed can be accepted. Provision of identification documents that are not listed, will result in delays to the processing of your application. 

Further assistance can be obtained from Authorised Personnel at the location or alternately contact can be made directly with Safeguarding Operations (incorporating SAVA).

The DHS will not release any information relative to any specific recorded criminal history, child protection issues or concerns. An assessment of risk will take place and an outcome will be issued based on all the information presented to the Department. 

The Department of Human Services (DHS) Screening Unit will however, provide the necessary information relative to the outcome to the Archdiocese in instances where applicants are assessed as posing a risk to the safety of children.

The Archdiocese will receive the finalised outcome notification as a result of that assessment.

Safeguarding Operations (incorporating SAVA) will provide an Archdiocesan outcome notification letter and card which can be presented to any Catholic location as evidence of your screening status.

The Department of Human Services will also provide their own notification directly to Applicants. These emails can be used across any Government Department or other Non-Government organisation. 

There is no cost to individuals providing paid or voluntary service at our locations when checks are initiated by our locations and undertaken through the Archdiocese via the Catholic Archdiocese Initiation Check Request Form (ICRF).

At the present time there are only a couple of other types of clearance that are currently acceptable to the Archdiocese. If one of these are presented and assessed as current (e.g. not expired), a new check will not be required.

The ORIGINAL DOCUMENT MUST be viewed by Authorised Persons at the location that you wish to provide service to.

Current Acceptable Forms of Clearance

• South Australia Police Officers – SAPOL Identification Badge
• Australian Federal Police Officers – AFP Identification Badge

Holders of these types of clearances are not required to obtain a Catholic Screening Outcome Letter and Card.

The only document/email notification that is acceptable is a current Department of Human Services (DHS) Working with Children Email outcome notification or DHS Certificate of Interrogation

Whilst this document is NOT specifically a Catholic Clearance, it is evidence that you have undertaken a Working with Children Check with DHS.

If you have a DHS Working with children check clearance, it should be presented to the Authorised Personnel at the location that you wish to provide service to. A copy of the DHS WWCC will be required to be forwarded to Safeguarding Operations (incorporating SAVA). The clearance will then be checked and assessed to determine whether a Catholic Clearance is appropriate based on the actual content of the document and the current status of the clearance issued by DHS.

Holder of this type of clearance is also required to obtain a Catholic Screening Outcome Letter/card.

You are required to ensure that the personal information you have provided is correct. If it is subsequently discovered that you have provided false or misleading information, you may be assessed as unsuitable for the position or role in question.

You will receive two forms of notification:

• Outcome email direct from Department of Human Services
  (which can be used across Government Departments and some other Non-Government organisations).
• Outcome letter (and card where applicable) from the Archdiocesan Safeguarding Operations - incorporating SAVA (to be used across all Catholic locations) – the letter and card you receive is then able to be presented at the location as evidence that you are cleared to hold a role or responsibility on behalf of the Archdiocese.

If you have not been granted a clearance you will also be advised in writing and have the right to appeal that decision. Information relating to the process for appeal is contained within the correspondence forwarded to you.

The Working with Children Checks conducted from 01 July 2019 will be valid for 5 years (unless revoked by DHS prior to the 5 year period).

Expiry dates are contained within the outcome letter from the Archdiocese. 

About three months prior to the expiry of check, you will receive an expiry notification letter from the Archdiocese which will prompt you to make arrangements directly with the location that you currently provide service to, to arrange for the renewal check to be undertaken.

If you no longer wish to provide service to an Archdiocesan location, the Safeguarding Operations team should be notified to enable a system disassociation from the location to be performed and eliminate any future correspondence from the department going out to you.

It is the policy of the Archdiocese that individuals cannot undertake any paid or regular volunteer role without a current clearance that is acceptable to the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide. Some occasional volunteer roles dependent upon the nature of the role and the frequency of service provision will also require clearance.

Yes – In accordance with the principles of natural justice, you have the right to lodge an appeal if you are unhappy with a decision made by the Department of Human Services. 

Individuals should refer https://screening.sa.gov.au/contact/appealing-a-screening-decision