Worker screening policy template for Aged Care

1. Purpose

This policy sets out how [Organisation name] screens the people who deliver funded aged care services on its behalf, so that older people receive care from people who have been checked, and so that [Organisation name] meets its obligations as a registered provider under the Aged Care Act 2024 and the Aged Care Rules 2025.

2. Scope

This policy applies to every aged care worker and responsible person of [Organisation name]. That includes:

• employees, whether full-time, part-time or casual;
• volunteers;
• independent contractors;
• people supplied by an agency or labour hire company, and people engaged through an associated provider such as a subcontractor, when they deliver funded aged care services;
• students on placement who deliver funded aged care services; and
• responsible persons, including board members, the chief executive, executive managers and the person responsible for managing nursing services.

A secondary school student on formal work experience may take part without their own check while directly supervised by a person who holds a National Police Check (Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check) or NDIS Worker Screening Clearance.

The Department's guidance treats some people as outside the definition of an aged care worker, such as a practitioner the older person arranged and [Organisation name] did not contract, or a tradesperson making a one-off visit. [Organisation name] [screens / does not screen] these people as a matter of policy.

3. Roles and responsibilities

• The [board / governing body] approves this policy and makes sure it is resourced.
• The [chief executive] is accountable for compliance with it, and considers the suitability of each responsible person at least once every 12 months.
• The [people and culture lead] runs the checks, keeps the screening records and tracks expiry dates.
• Managers and supervisors make sure nobody delivers funded aged care services before they are screened, and supervise anyone working on an interim basis.
• Workers and responsible persons provide their screening evidence, replace it before it expires, comply with the Code of Conduct for Aged Care, and tell [role] straight away if they are convicted of a precluding offence or their NDIS clearance is suspended or they are excluded.
• Responsible persons tell [Organisation name] in writing within 14 days of becoming aware of a change that affects their suitability.
• Agencies and associated providers that supply workers screen them to this standard and give [Organisation name] evidence on request, as set out in their contract.

4. Pre-engagement checks

Before a person delivers funded aged care services or starts as a responsible person, [Organisation name] confirms that they hold one of the following:

• a National Police Check issued no more than 3 years ago that does not record a conviction for murder or sexual assault, or a conviction and prison sentence for any other form of assault; or
• an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance that is in force.

[Optional: [Organisation name] also asks workers who hold an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance for a National Police Check.]

National Police Checks. We view the check result, check its issue date and check it for precluding offences. Where it records any other offence, [role] assesses whether the person can be engaged, considering the nature of the offence, how long ago it happened, its relevance to the role and any other relevant factor, and records the decision, the date, the reasons and the people involved.

Statutory declaration. A person who has been a citizen or permanent resident of another country at any time after turning 16 gives us a statutory declaration that they have never been convicted of murder or sexual assault, or convicted of and sentenced to imprisonment for any other form of assault.

NDIS Worker Screening Clearances. [If we deliver NDIS supports: we check the clearance status in the NDIS Worker Screening Database through the NDIS Commission Portal.] [If we do not: we view evidence of the clearance showing the person's full name, NDIS Worker Screening ID and expiry date.]

Banning orders. We check the register of banning orders before engaging anyone.

Interim start. A new worker or responsible person whose National Police Check or NDIS application is pending may start if they are appropriately supervised while it is pending and have given us the statutory declaration above. [Describe what appropriate supervision means here, for example never working alone with an older person.] This does not apply to a current worker whose National Police Check is more than 3 years old.

Role credentials. We also check the registrations, qualifications and other credentials each role needs, for example AHPRA registration for nurses and allied health professionals.

5. Ongoing checks and expiry tracking

• We record the issue date of every National Police Check and the expiry date of every NDIS Worker Screening Clearance. A National Police Check counts for 3 years from its issue date, and an NDIS clearance is valid for up to 5 years.
• We remind each person [90] days before their screening runs out, and again at [30] days.
• A replacement National Police Check must be in hand before the current one turns 3 years old. A person whose screening has run out does not deliver funded aged care services until it is replaced.
• We take reasonable measures to require workers to tell us about a precluding conviction, or an NDIS exclusion or suspension, through [the employment contract, induction and an annual declaration].
• We check the register of banning orders [monthly] for every current worker and responsible person.
• We consider and record each responsible person's suitability at least once every 12 months.

6. Ban registers

[Organisation name] checks the following registers before engaging a person and [monthly] after that:

• the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission's register of banning orders; and
• [if we also deliver NDIS supports] banning orders on the NDIS Provider Register.

If a person is subject to a banning order, we take reasonable steps to make sure they do not engage in conduct that breaches it. Where the order bans them from working in aged care, they are not engaged or are stood down immediately, and [role] records what was found and what we did.

7. Records and retention

For each aged care worker and responsible person, [Organisation name] keeps an up-to-date record of:

• their full name, date of birth and address;
• their National Police Check, statutory declaration or NDIS Worker Screening Clearance; and
• the name of the person who checked it, and the date they checked it.

We keep each record for 7 years from the later of the day it was first made and the day it was last updated, and we keep copies of records about misconduct allegations for 7 years.

Records are stored securely in [system], access is limited to [roles], and personal information is handled under our privacy policy and the Australian Privacy Principles.

8. Breaches and reporting

• A person without current screening is stood down from funded aged care services until it is in place.
• A person we are satisfied on reasonable grounds has been convicted of a precluding offence does not continue as an aged care worker or responsible person.
• Workers report incidents to a responsible person, supervisor or manager as soon as possible. [Role] notifies the Commission of Priority 1 serious incidents within 24 hours of becoming aware, and Priority 2 incidents within 30 days.
• [Role] notifies the Commission within 14 days of a person becoming or ceasing to be a responsible person, or a change in a responsible person's suitability.
• A breach of this policy by a worker may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including ending their engagement.

9. Review

[Organisation name] reviews this policy at least every 12 months, and sooner when the law changes, for example when the national worker screening check for the care and support economy starts.

Approved by: [name and role]. Date approved: [date]. Next review: [date]. Version: [number].