This month the NSW government initiated a Working With Children Check. Like its Victorian counterpart the check is a prerequisite for paid and unpaid child-related work, defined as, "work in a specific, child-related role or face-to-face contact with children in a child-related sector including...
• Clubs or other bodies providing services for children"

Checks are an essential screening tool to ensure offenders do not obtain access to children. 

However, the checks are limited. They cannot identify people who have not previously been caught or are yet to offend.  Therefore, while churches must comply, in no way should they consider the checks as sufficient for keeping children safe. 

 
Implementing effective child safe policies and practices is the best way to protect children.

The NSW Commission gives the following guidelines for organisations that are taking their obligations seriously. 
A Child Safe organisation:

• develops Child Safe policies
• has a Child Safe code of conduct
• ensures effective staff recruitment and training
• understands privacy considerations
• has a plan for managing risk
• encourages children and young people to participate
• effectively deals with concerns or complaints about behaviours towards a child
• attends Child Safe Organisation training

It would be a worthwhile  for any church to make this a checklist to measure it's own  practices and consider how safe it is for children. 

The CRCA's synod recommended child safe program fulfills these requirements. Churches can learn more about it here

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