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Children’s Act 2014

Children's worker safety checking - Obligations of specified organisations

25: Safety checks of new children's workers

You could also call this:

"Before hiring new staff to work with kids, organisations must do a safety check first."

Illustration for Children’s Act 2014

If you are a specified organisation, you must not employ someone as a children's worker without doing a safety check first. The safety check must comply with section 31. You need to complete the safety check before the person starts working with you.

If you want to employ a core worker, you must do the safety check before they start working with you on or after the date this law comes into force. For non-core workers, you have one year after this law comes into force to start doing safety checks before they begin working.

If you do not do the safety check, you can get in trouble and have to pay a fine of up to $10,000.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM5501707.

Topics:
Family and relationships > Children and parentingWork and jobs > Worker rights
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24: Specified organisation defined, or

"What is a specified organisation that works with children?"

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26: Safety checks of existing children's workers, or

"Organisations must check workers who care for kids are safe to work with them."

Part 3Children's worker safety checking
Obligations of specified organisations

25Safety checks of new children's workers

  1. A specified organisation must not employ or engage a person as a children's worker without ensuring that a safety check of the person that complies with section 31 is completed before the employment or engagement commences.

  2. The obligation in subsection (1) applies,—

  3. with respect to core workers, to employment or engagement that commences on or after the date on which this Part comes into force; and
    1. with respect to non-core workers, to employment or engagement that commences on or after the date that is 1 year after the date on which this Part comes into force.

      1. A specified organisation that, in relation to a person whom it employs or engages as a children's worker, fails to comply with subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.