Therapeutic Residential Care Worker requirements in Childcare
What a Therapeutic Residential Care Worker needs to work in Childcare in Australia, state by state: screening, qualifications and safety credentials, from Koora's compliance engine.
On this page
The requirements for a Therapeutic Residential Care Worker in Childcare depend on the state where they work. They also need the Working with Children Check for the state where they work (in Victoria, teacher registration can stand in for it), and some states add more. Each state's lines are set out below.
In Childcare, each state and territory issues its own Working with Children Check. The role's state section below lists the screening it accepts. Education and care roles follow the National Quality Framework; residential out-of-home care roles follow their own state requirements.
What a Therapeutic Residential Care Worker needs
Requirements are set by the state where you work. See each state's screening, qualification and training requirements below.
Checked against Koora's compliance engine on 22 October 2026. Where a line says “any one of”, one option is enough.
What changes by state
Each state below lists its requirements and links to the facts for its Working with Children Check.
New South Wales
| Pillar | What the worker must hold |
|---|---|
| Compliance | Working with Children Check (NSW) |
Victoria
| Pillar | What the worker must hold |
|---|---|
| Compliance | Working with Children Check or Teacher Registration (VIC) |
| Qualifications | Any one of:
|
Working with Children Check in Victoria · Teacher registration in Victoria
Queensland
| Pillar | What the worker must hold |
|---|---|
| Compliance | Working with Children Check (QLD) |
| Compliance | Hope and Healing Foundations training (QLD) |
| Qualifications | Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention or Enrolment in Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention or Enrolment in a relevant residential care qualification or Diploma of Community Services or Bachelor of Social Work or Diploma or Bachelor of Youth Work or Relevant human services degree (QLD) |
Western Australia
| Pillar | What the worker must hold |
|---|---|
| Compliance | Working with Children Check (WA) |
South Australia
| Pillar | What the worker must hold |
|---|---|
| Compliance | Working with Children Check (SA) |
| Compliance | First Aid (HLTAID011) or First Aid for Education and Care (HLTAID012) (SA) |
| Qualifications | Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention or Enrolment in Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention or Enrolment in a relevant residential care qualification or Diploma of Community Services or Bachelor of Social Work or Diploma or Bachelor of Youth Work or Relevant human services degree (SA) |
Tasmania
| Pillar | What the worker must hold |
|---|---|
| Compliance | Working with Children Check (TAS) |
Australian Capital Territory
| Pillar | What the worker must hold |
|---|---|
| Compliance | Working with Children Check (ACT) |
Northern Territory
| Pillar | What the worker must hold |
|---|---|
| Compliance | Working with Children Check (NT) |
How Koora uses these requirements
In Koora, the compliance engine tests each worker's records against the lines on this page and shows the gaps. That check is the floor on every plan. Your team reviews each credential in Koora, or Crew does it for you. The provider keeps the legal responsibility for who they engage.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Therapeutic Residential Care Worker need a Working with Children Check?
Yes. Each state and territory issues its own check, and a Therapeutic Residential Care Worker needs the one for the state where they work. In Victoria, a current Victorian Institute of Teaching registration covers the Working with Children Check.
What qualification does a Therapeutic Residential Care Worker need in Childcare?
The qualification requirements include state-specific lines for Victoria; Queensland; and South Australia. See those state sections above for the accepted options. A provider can still ask for more in its own policy.
Do the requirements for a Therapeutic Residential Care Worker change by state?
Yes. Each state issues its own Working with Children Check, and the other lines differ between states too. The section for each state on this page lists what it asks for beyond the lines every state shares.
Related
This is general information, not compliance advice. Always confirm requirements with the relevant regulator, and remember that providers keep the legal responsibility to sight credentials and decide who can work.
We work hard to keep everything accurate, and our compliance engine keeps up with the rules as they change. Even so, we might get a detail slightly wrong or miss something. No one's perfect. If you think something here needs updating, email us at resources@koora.care. We would genuinely rather know, because we all do better when we help each other get it right.
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