Working with Vulnerable People Act Legislative Review 2017 Executive Summary Introduction The Legislative Review of the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 (the Legislative Review) presents the opportunity to examine the effectiveness of the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 (the Act) and its administration through the Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) Scheme (the Scheme). The Act covers an extensive of services and activities and sets out the legislative and operational framework to undertake background checking as a risk assessment for people seeking to undertake regulated activities with children and/or vulnerable people. The Act continues to be rolled out across the ACT over its six-year implementation phase and a review of the Act is timely, as well as being a legislative requirement, so that issues can be addressed prior to the full operation of the Scheme. Overview of the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 The policy intent of the Act is to reduce the risk of harm to vulnerable people by preventing contact with people who have a history of inappropriate behaviour or who have not been assessed for suitability. It makes provision for the registration of all individuals who work or volunteer with vulnerable people in certain regulated activities. The exclusion of people with a known history of certain behaviour is a fundamental part of creating safe environments for vulnerable people. The premise of background checking is that the past behaviour of an individual can provide an indication of the possible future behaviour of that individual. Examples or patterns of abusive or inappropriate behaviour can sometimes be evident in information available for assessment, which includes an individual’s criminal record.
Working with Vulnerable People Act Legislative Review 2017 Executive Summary Introduction The Legislative Review of the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 (the Legislative Review) presents the opportunity to examine the effectiveness of the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 (the Act) and its administration through the Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) Scheme (the Scheme). The Act covers an extensive of services and activities and sets out the legislative and operational framework to undertake background checking as a risk assessment for people seeking to undertake regulated activities with children and/or vulnerable people. The Act continues to be rolled out across the ACT over its six-year implementation phase and a review of the Act is timely, as well as being a legislative requirement, so that issues can be addressed prior to the full operation of the Scheme. Overview of the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 The policy intent of the Act is to reduce the risk of harm to vulnerable people by preventing contact with people who have a history of inappropriate behaviour or who have not been assessed for suitability. It makes provision for the registration of all individuals who work or volunteer with vulnerable people in certain regulated activities. The exclusion of people with a known history of certain behaviour is a fundamental part of creating safe environments for vulnerable people. The premise of background checking is that the past behaviour of an individual can provide an indication of the possible future behaviour of that individual. Examples or patterns of abusive or inappropriate behaviour can sometimes be evident in information available for assessment, which includes an individual’s criminal record.
Working-with-Vulnerable-People-Act-Legislative-Review.docx