WWVP compliance and reporting

The Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) scheme aims to reduce the risk of harm or neglect to vulnerable people.

A vulnerable person can be a child, or an adult experiencing disadvantage who accesses a regulated activity.

Employer obligations

As an employer you must comply with WWVP requirements and ensure your employees and volunteers do the same.

For the purposes of the WWVP scheme:

an employer is an individual, agency, organisation or NDIS registered provider or individual who engages employees or volunteers in a regulated activity
an employee is any person paid money to engage in regulated activities or services on behalf of their employer. This includes sub-contractors.
a volunteer is any person who engages in a regulated activity or service for vulnerable people on behalf of an agency or organisation and is not paid.

You should:

identify paid or volunteer roles in your organisation that may need WWVP registration
check both sides of the WWVP registration card to make sure the registration type entitles staff to work or volunteer in their specific role.

You are committing an offence if you allow a registered person to breach a restriction placed on their registration.

Organisations should:

keep a record of registration details for each worker
set reminders to make sure workers aren't working beyond registration expiry dates.

Notifying Access Canberra

You can proactively notify Access Canberra of your current staff list and WWVP registrations. This is to enhance safety practices protecting vulnerable people.

You can email your staff list and WWVP registration details to WWVP@act.gov.au.

Staff lists should include each staff member’s:

full name
date of birth
current WWVP registration number
current WWVP registration expiry date.

Find out more about the obligations of early childhood education and care providers.

How to confirm registration

Employers can confirm a WWVP registration is valid by emailing WWVP@act.gov.au.

You'll need to provide the registration holder’s:

full name
date of birth
WWVP registration number.

Sporting clubs and association obligations

Sporting clubs and associations involved in junior or disability sports must make sure employees, volunteers and coaches have WWVP registrations.

It is an offence to work or volunteer in a regulated activity without a WWVP registration. Fines up to $7,000 and/or 2 years imprisonment can apply.

Public vehicle driver obligations

Employers of driving instructors, taxi, bus, hire car and rideshare drivers must make sure they have WWVP registrations.

It is an offence to work or volunteer in a regulated activity without a WWVP registration. Fines up to $7,000 and/or 2 years imprisonment can apply.

Checking compliance

Access Canberra regularly checks that organisations and individuals working with vulnerable people are complying with the WWVP Scheme.

Workplace visits

These checks involve workplace visits. They provide an opportunity for Access Canberra compliance officers to:

monitor compliance and discuss WWVP processes and controls
educate and inform employers and employees about the WWVP scheme
provide resources to improve compliance.

Compliance officers will attend workplaces during normal working hours.

They may request to see employees' or volunteers' WWVP cards or registration records.

When Access Canberra compliance officers visit, you should:

engage with compliance officers and take the opportunity to ask questions
assist compliance officers to check registration cards or registration details
show processes for monitoring registrations and seek advice for improvements.

Reporting non-compliance

If you think a workplace or individual is non-compliant, contact Access Canberra by:

email to WWVPCompliance@act.gov.au
using the Access Canberra Contact us form
calling 13 22 81
writing to: Background Screening Unit, Access Canberra, GPO Box 158, Canberra City ACT 2601

Responding to non-compliance

If Access Canberra finds, or is told of an instance of non-compliance they may:

provide verbal compliance advice, a written warning, or legal prosecution
suspend WWVP registration
apply interim conditions to a WWVP registration
undertake another risk assessment, which could result in registration cancellation.

Legislative framework

The WWVP scheme is underpinned by the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 and its legislative instruments.