Do we need to do a Working With Children Check for our volunteers?

Requirements vary by state and by the nature of the role. In most Australian states, volunteers who work directly and regularly with children or young people need a Working With Children Check or equivalent. Requirements also differ for paid staff versus volunteers in some states. Check with your state's relevant authority — for example, the Department of Justice or equivalent in your state — before rostering anyone into a role that involves children.

Are volunteers covered by our group's insurance?

It depends on your policy. Many community group public liability policies do extend to volunteers, but you should check with your insurer directly. Some policies require volunteers to be formally registered or have completed an induction. Ask your insurer what is required and get it in writing.

What should a volunteer induction cover?

At a minimum: what the role involves, who to report to, emergency contacts and procedures, any physical hazards in the space, and how to report an incident or concern. For roles involving children or vulnerable people, the induction should also cover your group's safeguarding policy.

What do we do if a volunteer is injured during their shift?

Provide first aid and call for help if needed. Record the incident in writing as soon as possible — what happened, when, where, who was involved, and what action was taken. Notify your insurer promptly. The exact requirements after that depend on your state and the severity of the incident — check with your insurer and your state's relevant authority.

Do we need a safeguarding or child safety policy?

If your group works with children or young people, yes. Many states require it for organisations that regularly engage with children, and some funders require it as a condition of grant funding. Your policy should set out how your group keeps children safe and what to do if a concern arises. Check with your state's relevant authority for the requirements that apply to you.

Volunteers

Keeping Volunteers Safe: Duty of Care for Community Groups

A plain-English guide to volunteer safety for community groups — inductions, position descriptions, Working With Children Checks, insurance, and incident reporting.

Looking after the people who give their time to your group is one of the most important things you can do as a committee. A basic safety framework does not need to be complicated — it just needs to exist.

Why volunteer safety matters for community groups

Community groups sometimes assume that because their work is informal and done in good faith, the usual safety obligations do not apply. That is not correct. Your group has a duty of care to the people volunteering for it, and if something goes wrong, the committee can be held accountable.

The good news is that the foundations of volunteer safety are straightforward, practical, and mostly common sense. The goal is not a thick policy binder — it is a group where people know what to expect, feel comfortable raising concerns, and are protected if something goes wrong.

Write clear position descriptions

Safety starts before someone begins. A written position description for each volunteer role tells the person exactly what they will be doing, who they report to, what checks or training are needed, and what the physical demands of the role are.

A good position description prevents misunderstandings and makes it much easier to manage the role safely. It also gives you something concrete to refer to if a safety issue arises later.

See our guide on recruiting volunteers for a short template you can adapt.

Run a proper induction

An induction does not need to be a half-day training course. For most community group roles, an hour is plenty — or even a quick walk-through and a conversation. What matters is that it covers:

What the role involves and who they report to
Where things are (first aid kit, emergency exits, equipment they will use)
Any hazards relevant to the space or the role
Emergency procedures — who to call, where to go
How to report an incident or raise a concern
For roles involving children or vulnerable people: your group's safeguarding expectations

Keep a brief written record that the induction happened — the date, what was covered, and the volunteer's name. This protects both the volunteer and the group.

You can find a simple checklist in our volunteer induction guide.

Working With Children Checks and police checks

Requirements for checks vary significantly across Australian states, and between volunteer and paid roles. Do not assume your group is exempt.

As a general guide:

If volunteers work directly and regularly with children or young people, a Working With Children Check or equivalent is very likely required in your state.
If volunteers work with vulnerable adults (people with disability, older people in care settings), a police check may be required.
Requirements may be different for volunteers than for paid staff.
Some roles may require both a WWCC and a police check.

Check with your state's relevant authority before rostering anyone into a role that involves children or vulnerable people. The relevant body differs by state — it may be the Department of Justice, a community services regulator, or another agency. Your peak body or local council can point you in the right direction.

Record which checks have been completed, when they were done, and when they expire. Keep this up to date — an expired check is the same as no check.

Insurance and cover for volunteers

Your group's public liability insurance may extend to volunteers, but you should not assume it does. Ask your insurer directly:

Are volunteers covered under your public liability policy?
Are there any conditions — such as completing an induction or being formally registered — that volunteers must meet to be covered?
What is the process if a volunteer is injured?
Is volunteer personal accident insurance included, or does it need to be added?

Some volunteer roles carry more physical risk than others. If your group runs working bees, manages equipment, or has volunteers doing manual tasks, make sure your cover is adequate for that.

Keep a copy of your insurance certificate accessible and note the renewal date in your calendar.

Risk planning for activities

Before any activity where something could go wrong, take fifteen minutes to think through the risks:

What could go wrong, and how likely is it?
What is the impact if it does?
What can you do to reduce the risk?
What will you do if it happens anyway?

This does not need to be a formal document for every sausage sizzle. But for events with significant physical activity, large numbers of people, working with children, or equipment that could cause injury, a brief written risk plan is worth the time.

Incident reporting

If something does go wrong — a volunteer is injured, a near-miss happens, or a concern is raised — write it down promptly. Record:

What happened, when, and where
Who was involved
What action was taken
Who was notified

Notify your insurer if a volunteer is injured, and follow up on any necessary steps. The requirements after a serious incident vary by state, so check with your insurer and your state's relevant authority.

Having an incident recorded properly protects both the person involved and the committee. It also helps you learn from what happened and stop it from occurring again.

Looking after people doing difficult work

Some volunteer roles involve emotionally demanding work — supporting people in crisis, working with people experiencing hardship, running food relief programs. Volunteers in these roles need the same support structures as paid workers doing similar jobs.

Keep an eye on how people are doing. Check in regularly. Make it clear that it is fine to step back if the work becomes too much. A debrief after a difficult session, even a brief one, goes a long way.

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If you would like help keeping your volunteer records and compliance information organised in Swoop, you can book a yarn with us.

Common questions

Do we need to do a Working With Children Check for our volunteers?: Requirements vary by state and by the nature of the role. In most Australian states, volunteers who work directly and regularly with children or young people need a Working With Children Check or equivalent. Requirements also differ for paid staff versus volunteers in some states. Check with your state's relevant authority — for example, the Department of Justice or equivalent in your state — before rostering anyone into a role that involves children.
Are volunteers covered by our group's insurance?: It depends on your policy. Many community group public liability policies do extend to volunteers, but you should check with your insurer directly. Some policies require volunteers to be formally registered or have completed an induction. Ask your insurer what is required and get it in writing.
What should a volunteer induction cover?: At a minimum: what the role involves, who to report to, emergency contacts and procedures, any physical hazards in the space, and how to report an incident or concern. For roles involving children or vulnerable people, the induction should also cover your group's safeguarding policy.
What do we do if a volunteer is injured during their shift?: Provide first aid and call for help if needed. Record the incident in writing as soon as possible — what happened, when, where, who was involved, and what action was taken. Notify your insurer promptly. The exact requirements after that depend on your state and the severity of the incident — check with your insurer and your state's relevant authority.
Do we need a safeguarding or child safety policy?: If your group works with children or young people, yes. Many states require it for organisations that regularly engage with children, and some funders require it as a condition of grant funding. Your policy should set out how your group keeps children safe and what to do if a concern arises. Check with your state's relevant authority for the requirements that apply to you.

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