13.11.3 Appointment
See paragraph 6.3 of the Instruments
Board members may be appointed by the Commission for an initial period of 3 years. The Board members may then be reappointed by the Commission for such further period as the Commission determines.
Appointment of members, to the Board shall be on the basis of a selection procedure whereby:
(a) the Board Secretary and Chairperson shall inform the nominating organisations of the nature of the Board’s contribution to the Scheme; and
(b) nominating organisations shall:
(i) select individuals on the basis of the direct contribution they could make to the Children’s Education Scheme in terms of interpersonal skills and educational contacts and relevant, educational experience;
(ii) provide more than one nomination wherever possible; and
(iii) provide a full resume for those nominated; and
(c) a Board Chairperson and a person nominated by the Commission shall interview prospective nominees to inform them of the functions of the Board and the commitment expected from Board members; and
(d) the appointment of a member to a Board shall be made by the Commission subject to the MRCC approving the appointment. The Commission is to notify the MRCC of a proposed appointment to a Board (which notice may be in electronic form) and the MRCC is to notify the Commission of its approval or rejection of the proposed appointment (which notice may be in electronic form).
13.11.3.1 Working with Children Checks
VCES and MRCAETS Board members, DVA staff and third party service providers, including tutors engaged by parents and paid by DVA, are required to obtain and maintain a current Working with Children Check, as their usual duties may involve, or are likely to involve, contact with children in the form of providing a counselling or other support service. Overall national information can be found here. [1]
State legislation in Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales requires employees and volunteers involved in child related work to obtain a Working With Children Check. These Checks examine the criminal record of the person to confirm if they have been convicted of, or charged with, certain prohibited offences. If a person receives a negative notice they must not carry out child related work.
In South Australia, persons whose employment requires regular contact with children are required to obtain a police clearance.
In the ACT, people working with children are required to obtain a Working With Vulnerable People check.
In Tasmania, the Department of Health and Human Services has committed to establishing a centralised background checking and risk assessment process for volunteering or working with children and vulnerable people. It is anticipated that legislation (Draft Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Bill 2013) will be introduced to the Tasmanian Parliament in 2014. In the interim, the VCES Secretary undertakes a Police Check for Board Members.
Staff and Board members who have face-to-face contact with minors in more than one State or Territory are required to obtain the relevant clearances from each jurisdiction.
Links
[1] https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/pre-employment-screening-working-children-checks-and-police-checks