The Office of the Children’s Guardian has launched a new register to stop workers who pose a risk to young people in one residential care from moving between agencies.
In a statement the Office said the creation of a Residential Care Workers Register responded to issues raised by the out-of-home care sector around the need to prevent unsuitable people from moving between services.
Welcoming the new Register, Minister for Families and Communities, Natasha Maclaren-Jones said it also responded to a recommendation by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
“The Register will help keep our most vulnerable children and young people safer,” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.
“While most workers in this area do the right thing and have the children’s best interests at heart, this new Register will prevent workers who pose a risk to young people in residential care from moving between agencies,” she said.
“This equips agencies to make sure people who are unsuitable to care for children can’t change agencies in order to avoid any transgressions or misconduct.”
Mrs Maclaren-Jones said the Register would require out-of-home care providers to hold relevant information about people working as residential care workers, which could be shared between agencies.
She said the sector had come together in support of this important initiative.
“The new requirements will apply to residential care workers currently working, or applying for jobs in the out-of-home care sector,” the Minister said.
Further information on the Residential Care Workers Register can be accessed at this PS News link.
