NDIS Worker Screening Check (for Volunteers)

About the NDIS Worker Screening Check (NDISWC)

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has now introduced Worker Screening Checks.

A Worker Screening Check is an assessment of whether a person who works or volunteers*, or seeks to work or volunteer, with people with disability poses a risk to them. The assessment will determine whether a person is cleared or excluded from working in certain roles with people with disability.

As the Gig Buddies project and ACL Disability Services is an NDIS registered service provider, all Gig Buddies staff and volunteers will now have to obtain a valid Worker Screening Check. This will replace our current requirement for volunteers to have a current and valid police check.

*The NDISWC is free for volunteers.

Open this link in a new window - https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/ndiswc-apply

Follow the next steps to get your NDISWC (if you have been paired with a buddy) >

STEP 1. Lodge an online application

To do this, you will need:

Four original identity documents (not photocopies, photos or scans) such as:

• Australian driver licence

• Australian passport

• Medicare card

• utility bill (gas, water, electricity, telephone, mobile phone, internet).

• Non-Australian citizens will need to have a signed statutory declaration (click here for statutory declaration guidelines for Non-Aus Citizens)

The NDIS Quality and Safeguard Commission registration number for ACL Disability Service & the Gig Buddies project. We will provide this to you once you have attended a volunteer training session.
Your current and previous addresses (if applicable) for the last 5 years
Your name, and if applicable, previous names you've been known by throughout your life
Your email address (mandatory) and phone number
To give consent to a criminal history check, and to your identity, criminal and workplace records, and other information about you being shared with other agencies involved in NDIS regulation and worker screening
To provide information from your history about other worker screening checks, court orders relating to child protection, crimes committed overseas and workplace misconduct matters

Once you have completed this form, you will be sent a confirmation email with an application number.

STEP 2. Visit a Service NSW centre within 14 days

You'll need to take with you:

Your application number (contained in your confirmation email)

Your original identity documents (not photocopies, photos or scans)

You are also required to have your photo taken. Service NSW will then send your application to the NDISWC screening agency for processing.

STEP 3. Gig Buddies will then be asked to verify

Once we have done so, your application will be assessed.

STEP 4. You will receive an email advising you of the outcome.

If successful, you will be provided a NDISWC number.

You will need to send us a copy of this.

Once this has been done, we can organise your introduction to your buddy!

Where does my information go?

When you undertake an application, your information will be stored on the NDIS Worker Screening Database. This database is overseen by the NDIS Commission, who are responsible for establishing, operating and maintaining the database.

NDIS providers and individuals need to apply to the NDIS Commission to access information stored on the database.

What if I already have a current police check?

For new volunteers, you will need to apply for a Workers Screening Check as outlined above. It is free for volunteers.

For all existing Gig Buddies volunteers, once your current police check expires (three years after the issue date) you will need to obtain a free Worker Screening Check. We’ll be in touch around that time to help you with this.

What if I'm not an Australian Citizen?

In order to obtain a Workers Screening Check, non-Australian citizens are required to supply a Statutory Declaration.

How to do this:

Download and fill out a Statutory Declaration form from this website: https://www.jp.nsw.gov.au/Documents/nsw-stat-dec-schedule-8.pdf

You will need to print this out and take it to be signed by an approved witness.

You will also need to take your original identity documents (not photocopies, photos or scans) with you for the witness to verify prior to signing.

You can find a list of approved witnesses here: https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/statutory-declarations/who-can-witness-your-statutory-declaration#fees

We would recommend a Justice of the Peace, as this is a free service. You can find your closest JP Service via this link: https://www.jp.nsw.gov.au/findajp

You will then need to take this signed Statutory Declaration and your identity documents to your nearest Service NSW centre to complete the process.