Accessing NSW department schools as a non-employee
Why do we screen?
Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our students is our utmost priority. As responsible members of the school community, it is crucial to screen all volunteers and workers thoroughly. This process safeguards our children from potential risks and ensures a secure, nurturing learning environment where every child can thrive.
As part of the screening process, members of the community working or volunteering in our schools must provide basic name and contact details. They must also consent to the department’s privacy policy and declare that there is no relevant reason (such as a serious criminal conviction) why they should not be granted access to school grounds during school hours.
Importantly, our screening processes help individuals, their employers and the department meet their legislative responsibilities, such as the need for all individuals in NSW working or volunteering with direct contact with children to have a current Working With Children Check (WWCC).
What is a digital declaration?
The department now supports a digital collection of screening documents to fast-track screening for individuals who are not employees or facilities maintenance contractors accessing schools during school hours.
A digital declaration is an online form which is sent via a link in an email. The form asks individuals to provide details or upload certificates that are relevant to the type of access or activities that the individual will undertake in the school.
The information that is requested will change based on the type of activities that an individual will be involved in when accessing the school. For example, to meet the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012, people involved in child related activities will need to supply a WWCC, unless they are exempt (e.g. under 18 years of age).
Benefits of a digital screening process include:
- Tell us once – if you are performing similar activities between schools, the digital screening outcome is visible across schools, meaning you won’t need to repeat the same paperwork between schools unless you are updating your details.
- Faster screening results – screening outcomes can be visible and updated in our screening systems almost instantly after the digital form has been correctly completed. This includes verification of a WWCC, which can take hours, days or weeks when done as a paper-based declaration.
- Simplified forms – the paper-based declaration forms have been updated and are shorter, faster and simpler to fill out, with links to provide more information where needed.
What does your screening outcome mean?
After the digital screening declaration form has been completed, an email will be sent confirming the screening outcome, or any additional steps needed.
See what different activities and access to schools individuals can perform, based on the information provided in the digital declaration form:
What activities can you do with this access?
You can access any NSW Department of Education School and work in any non-child related capacity.
‘Non-child related work’ is work that does not ordinarily involve contact with children for extended periods of time, and where contact with children is not a usual part of, and only incidental to, the work. This includes:
- maintenance and trade services
- equipment installation
- landscaping services
- internet/NBN maintenance.
What activities can’t you do with this access:
- any child-related work.
If you want to increase your access to include working in a child-related capacity, you will need to hold a current Working with children check (WWCC).
What activities can you do with this access?
You can access the specific school listed and volunteer with student groups involving your child or close relative.
What activities can’t you do with this access:
- provide personal care services to children with disabilities
- attend an overnight excursion
- transport students other than your child or relative to school-sanctioned events (e.g. excursions, school sport competitions, etc)
- volunteer more broadly in the school (or other schools) outside of groups/classes with your child or close relative, or as a mentor
- volunteer through a formal organisation, mentoring service or program (including Duke of Edinburgh volunteers and special religious or ethical education volunteers)
- be paid by schools as a contractor or employee.
To increase your access as a volunteer, you will need to hold a current Working with children check (WWCC).
What activities can you do with this access?
You can access any NSW Department of Education School and volunteer with students and perform general child-related activities in an unpaid capacity, including:
- volunteering as a parent, carer or close relative volunteer
- providing personal care services to children with disabilities
- attending an overnight excursion
- transport students other than your child or relative to school-sanctioned events (e.g. excursions, school sport competitions, etc)
- volunteering more broadly in the school (or other schools) outside of groups/classes with your child or close relative
- volunteering through a formal organisation, mentoring service or program (including a P&C role, Duke of Edinburgh volunteers, and special religious or ethical education volunteers).
What activities can’t you do with this access:
- be paid by schools as a contractor or employee.
If you want to increase your access to include working as a paid contractor, you will need to hold a current Working with children check (WWCC) for paid employment, and not a volunteer WWCC which is for unpaid activities only.
What activities can you do with this access?
You can access any NSW Department of Education School and volunteer with students and perform general child-related activities in a paid or unpaid capacity, including:
- volunteering as a parent, carer or close relative volunteer
- providing personal care services to children with disabilities
- attending an overnight excursion transport students other than your child or relative to school-sanctioned events (e.g. excursions, school sport competitions, etc)
- volunteering more broadly in the school (or other schools) outside of groups/classes with your child or close relative
- volunteering through a formal organisation, mentoring service or program (including a P&C role, Duke of Edinburgh volunteers, and special religious or ethical education volunteers)
- working as a paid contractor in a child-related capacity.
What activities can’t you do with this access:
- be paid by schools as a NSW Department of Education employee
- work as a health, disability and wellbeing service provider (e.g., NDIS, Allied Health), where additional details (such as insurance, professional associations, certificate of currency) are required for the work being done.
What activities can you do with this access?
Once a Declaration for Contractors with Workers in Child-related Work has been completed by your employer and provided to the school, you can access that school and work with students in a paid contractor or unpaid capacity, including:
- providing personal care services to children with disabilities
- attending an overnight excursion
- volunteering more broadly in the school (or other schools) outside of groups/classes with your child or close relative
- volunteering through a formal organisation, mentoring service or program (including a P&C role, Duke of Edinburgh volunteers)
- working as a paid contractor in a child-related capacity.
What activities can’t you do with this access:
- access other NSW Department of Education schools (a new declaration form must be completed by your employer and provided at each school attended)
- be paid by schools as a NSW Department of Education employee
- work as a health, disability and wellbeing service provider, where additional details (such as insurance, professional associations, certificate of currency) are required for the work being done.
What activities can you do with this access?
You can access any NSW Department of Education School and work with students in a paid or unpaid capacity, including as an Allied Health and NDIS provider, subject to:
- schools checking any uploaded documents remain valid when you sign in
- mandatory child protection training (or similar alternative) has been completed
- relevant agreement forms are negotiated and completed per school attended (check which forms with each school):
1. use of school facilities/agreement.
2. signed External Provider Engagement Agreement
3. a separate schedule to the External Provider Engagement Agreement for each student (or group of students)
4. some individual schools may also want additional Mandatory training to be completed, like CPR, ASCIA anaphylaxis training. Check with each school.
What activities can’t you do with this access:
- be paid by schools as a NSW Department of Education employee.
The decision for an allied health, NDIS service provider or other external service provider to deliver services at different schools and during school hours remains a negotiation between the principal and parent(s) or carer(s).
What do I need to show once I get to the school?
All visitors attending during school operating hours need to visit the school office first to sign in using the ServiceNSW app and show a photo ID. This can include a NSW digital drivers licence. A date of birth might be needed if there are multiple people with the same name in our systems.
Depending on the nature of your visit, you may need to provide more information.
No more information required
If you are a:
- non-child related contractor or volunteer
- parent, carer, or close relative volunteer (WWCC exempt)
- child related volunteer (WWCC-V)
- child related volunteer or contractor (WWCC-E).
you only need to sign in and show a photo ID.
More information required
Child related contractor (organisation verifying WWCC)
- Your employer (or an authorised person from your organisation) must verify your WWCC and complete the Declaration for Contractors with Workers in Child-related Work form on your behalf.
- Your employer must provide the form to the school (can be provided when you sign in).
- You must sign in at the school office through the ServiceNSW app
- You must show a photo ID.
As your WWCC has not been verified by the department, these steps will need to be repeated at each school attended
Child related volunteer or contractor providing Allied health, disability, behaviour support and wellbeing services
You must:
- complete any other steps or forms as directed by the school.
- sign in at the school office through the ServiceNSW app
- show a photo ID.
Schools where you have not worked regularly will need to check any uploaded documents remain valid when you sign in.