Vulnerable Children Act 2014- requirements for schools and kura
Schools, kura and their contracted providers must safety check all their children's workers and they must have a child protection policy. These are requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act (VCA).
The VCA guide helps you navigate the requirements of the Act. It brings together information and resources already published and complements the advice and guidelines produced by the Children’s Action Plan.
- Download the VCA Guide in full [PDF, 5.2 MB]
- Quick download of the resources within the VCA Guide
- Child protection policies
- Safety checking
- Safety checking people in your service or school
- Safety checking steps
- Volunteers don't need to be safety checked
- Further information
Quick download of the resources within the VCA Guide
- Overview of the Planning Tool - p.12 (external link)
- VCA Scope of the Standard Safety Checking Environment - p.16 (external link)
- Relieving teachers - p.20 (external link)
- Trainees on practicum - p.23 (external link)
- What checks do I need to undertake for adults coming onto my school? - p.27 (external link)
- Safety checking for new and existing employees - p.35 (external link)
Child Protection Policies
From 1 July 2016 all schools and kura need to have a child protection policy in place.
Child protection policies encourage early identification and referral of suspected child abuse or neglect. They also help build a strong culture of child protection in your school or kura.
Key requirements of a child protection policy
- It needs to be written down and in use.
- Say how suspected neglect and abuse will be identified and reported.
- Be reviewed every 3 years.
- Available on school websites or on request.
Go to the Child Protection Policies in the VCA Guide (external link)
Safety Checking
All children’s workers need to be safety checked every 3 years. This includes both staff employed and staff engaged in your school or kura, whose work involves regular or overnight contact with children. They are classified as either core workers or non core workers.
Core workers
Core workers are either in sole charge or have primary responsibility or authority over the child or children in their care. Schools and kura are now unable to employ a core worker who has a specified criminal conviction unless they hold a Core Worker Exemption (CWE).
Go to the workforce restriction and the core worker exemption p 36 of the VCA guide (external link)
Timeframes | Key requirements |
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From 1 July 2015 | Safety checking of all new core workers (even if they are not new to the employer but are newly appointed to a children’s worker role) must be safety checked before they start in the role. |
By 1 July 2018 | Safety checking of all existing core workers |
Go to Information on The Workforce Restriction and the Core Worker Exemption (external link) (on the Oranga Tamariki website)
Non-core workers
Non-core workers have regular but limited child contact and are never alone with children.
Timeframes | Key requirements |
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From 1 July 2016 | Safety checking of all new non-core workers before they are appointed to the role |
By 1 July 2019 | Safety checking of all existing non- core workers |
Safety checking people in your service or school
Safety checking steps
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Information about previous criminal convictions (if any) (external link) |
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Other information (external link)
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Risk assessment (external link)
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Periodic safety checks (external link)
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