The rollout of Tasmania’s Registration to Work with Vulnerable People scheme has been a tremendous success since beginning in July 2014, with more than 36,000 Tasmanians who work or volunteer with children registered to date.
The importance of Registration to Work with Children schemes in preventing abuse and harm has been highlighted by the ongoing Royal Commission into Institutional Abuse.
An amendment bill which passed the Legislative Council yesterday contained a number of administrative amendments which will further improve Tasmania’s scheme and implement a number of recommendations of the Royal Commission. It is pleasing that this bill was supported by all sides of politics.
With applications for registration now open for Transport Services, and Health, Counselling & Support Services for Children, the Registrar of the Scheme has been working closely with stakeholders on the regulations for these areas.
A final definition of people requiring registration due to working in the Transport Services for Children has now been adopted.
The definition provides for all holders of an ancillary certificate to drive a public passenger vehicle (PPV) to require registration. As recently flagged with the taxi industry by the Minister for Infrastructure, this definition includes taxi drivers, luxury hire car drivers, drivers of restricted hire vehicles, and drivers of vehicles greater than 10 seats (school, general access and other buses). The definition will also capture taxi services for children with a disability; and school crossing staff and volunteers.
The Registrar of the Scheme will be writing to all holders of an ancillary certificate to drive a public passenger vehicle to advise them of the process for completing registration by the deadline of 1 April 2016.
The definition of Transport Services for children that has been adopted will ensure the protections provided by the RWVP scheme are available to all children using Public Passenger Vehicle services.
The vast majority of people holding ancillary certificates to drive a PPV work for companies which offer either designated school bus services or general transport services which at times will carry children, either accompanied or unaccompanied.
It is therefore appropriate that all drivers of public passenger vehicles have Registration to Work with Vulnerable People. This definition also avoids creating additional administrative burden for Government and businesses by sorting drivers who regularly transport children from those who transport children less regularly.
The Departments of Justice and State Growth are working together to identify opportunities to streamline their respective application and payment processes in future in order to reduce the regulatory burden on drivers and operators.
On advice from the Registrar of the scheme, the Government has also extended the phase-in period for people working in the Health, Counselling & Support Services for Children from 1 April 2016 to 1 July 2016. This will allow additional time to work with stakeholders on finalising a definition which captures employees who work directly with children.
The rollout schedule established prior to the start of the scheme was for a staged rollout across sectors. To date, the scheme has been fully rolled out across sectors including Child Care, Child related Religious Activity, Child related Commercial Services, Coaching or Tuition Services, Club or Association Activity, Youth Justice Services, Child Disability Services, and Non-Government Schools.
Employers and volunteer organisations are reminded that they can confirm employees and volunteers are correctly registered online at www.justice.tas.gov.au/working_with_children.
Vanessa Goodwin, Minister for Justice
