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The Professional Experience Office in the School of Education at UNE

Letter from the Head of School about Professional Experience within the School of Education

Important information about your
Professional Experience Placements

Click here for a PDF of the following information.

The School of Education at UNE has recently received some important information that will affect all initial teacher education students (both new and current) who undertake Professional Experience in a teaching degree.

Commencing 2013, all teaching students attending any school or education setting (including Early Childhood) in New South Wales will require the following:

  1. Working with Children Check
    All students intending to undertake placement whose work is categorised as ‘practical training as part of an educational or vocational course’; in schools or other educational institutions (e.g. pre-schools, kindergartens and child care centers) must complete a Working with Children Check application. The online application website will go live from a date to be advised.

    In the meantime, all students must complete the volunteer/student declaration at https://check.kids.nsw.gov.au/volunteer-declaration.php

  2. Anaphylaxis Training
    The NSW Department of Education and Communities “now requires that all initial teacher education students are trained in anaphylaxis management before they can undertake any professional experience in NSW public schools.”

    The only approved training is provided by the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and is a free, online module available at http://etraining.allergy.org.au/. On satisfactory completion of the online module participants receive a certificate of completion. The training is required to be successfully undertaken every two years.

What does this mean for you?

It is essential that you meet both of the above requirements to ensure that you are eligible for any professional experience placement.  The Professional Experience Office will now require evidence that you have completed the above requirements before you can be released for placement from 2013 unless prior approval has been given for a placement in NSW starting earlier than 11 February. If this is the case you will need to complete the old volunteer declaration form and commence the new check on 11th February.

What if I live in another State?

  • For the Working With Children Check - If you will be attending your professional experience in a State outside of NSW, you will need to check these requirements with your State Government.  On the next page we have made a list of government bodies in other states.
  • For the Anaphylaxis Training – students residing outside NSW are strongly advised to complete the free anaphylaxis module at http://etraining.allergy.org.au.

How do I provide evidence to UNE?

Simply post or email (peo@une.edu.au) your anaphylaxis training certificate and Working With Children Check number to the Professional Experience Office.  On-campus students may take copies in person.

Please note that UNE is not responsible for assessment and/or providing advice to students on the above matters.  If you need advice please contact the relevant bodies.

Yours sincerely
Prof. Steve Tobias
Head of School

Working with Children Check – other States outside NSW

State/Territory Legal Requirements
Australian Capital Territory Under new rules in the ACT, people who work with children and vulnerable adults must register with a Statutory Screening Unit. Under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Bill 2010 it is expected that all employees and volunteers who provide regulated services to children will be checked in the first year of the new law’s operation. For more information click here.
Northern Territory In the NT the law has recently changed and from 1 March 2011 it will be mandatory for people who have contact or potential contact with children to hold a Working with Children Clearance Notice and an Ochre Card. SAFE NT administers the clearance procedure which involves an employment and criminal history check. People who have previously had a Criminal History Check to work with children will still be required to apply for the Working with Children Clearance if they work certain specified areas of employment. For more information on the requirements visit www.workingwithchildren.nt.gov.au or contact SAFE NT on 1800 SAFENT (1800 723 368).
Queensland In Queensland people working or volunteering with children need to hold a Blue Card. The Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian is responsible for administering and conducting criminal history checks on people who want to work with children to determine whether or not they are eligible to hold a Blue Card.
South Australia Under the Children's Protection Act (Section 8B) people in SA who work in jobs which require regular contact with children are required to obtain police clearance before they commence employment. A National Police Certificate application form is available from the South Australian Police Department.
Tasmania Currently there are no legal requirements for people working with children to undertake a police check in Tasmania, however, organisations which require employees and/or volunteers to work with children may have their own policies in this regard. In 2005 the Commissioner for Children Tasmania released a consultation paper discussing proposals for the Government to introduce screening procedures for Tasmanian organisations who want to employ people to work with children.
Victoria The Victorian Government has introduced the Working with Children Check, which is compulsory for people who wish to work with or volunteer with children. The check seeks to protect children from harm by requiring people to undertake a criminal history check before they start work in an organisation.
Western Australia In Western Australia a Working with Children Check is compulsory for people who carry out child-related work in Western Australia. The check aims to protect children by deterring people from working with children when they have criminal records that indicate they may harm children; and by preventing people with such records from gaining positions of trust in paid and voluntary work with children.