The Social Services Regulator is conducting inquiries with the Eltham Wildcats to determine how an individual was working in a child-related role, while subject to relevant criminal charges.
It follows a statement from the club that the former CEO of the organisation, Richard Irving, was working in the role for more than a year after being charged with grooming offences.
All individuals in Victoria working or volunteering in child-related roles must hold a current Working with Children Check.
If a person is charged with a Category A offence (which includes serious sexual offences against children), their Clearance is revoked and they must immediately stop all child-related work.
It is also an offence for someone if they fail to notify their employer or volunteer organisation if they have been excluded.
Organisations that knowingly engage an individual in child-related work if they do not have a check can also face action.
A range of reforms have been and will continue to be rolled out to bolster the child safeguarding system. These include provisions for greater information sharing, consideration of unsubstantiated reports and a requirement for organisations to check whether employees and volunteers have clearance to work with children.
This includes the ability for the Regulator to consider ‘child safety risk information’ when assessing a person’s suitability to hold or retain a Clearance. This includes allegations of serious offending before a person has been charged by police.
Child Safe Standard 6 says that organisations must ensure that people working with children are suitable through thorough recruitment and vetting processes, appropriate induction and ongoing monitoring.
Regulator Jonathan Kaplan said that all children have the right to feel safe and to be safe.
“Organisations that offer services to children have a responsibility to create a safe environment, to follow the Child Safe Standards and have systems, policies, and practices in place to keep children safe from abuse and harm,” Mr Kaplan said.
“This is the minimum that children deserve and that the community expects.”
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