Many point out the limitations of the Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) Card but it is our first line of defence in safeguarding children.

The Tasmania WWVP legislation lists ‘regulated activities’ requiring all participating adults secure and maintain a WWVP Card certifying their fitness to be associating with children and other vulnerable people such as those with disabilities.

Registration for WWVP card involves a ‘background check’ to determine if an applicant constitutes an unacceptable risk as either a worker or a volunteer.

The WWVP Card has been somewhat controversial in the news with calls by some Local Government Councillors and Tasmanian MPs for elected officials to be required to have a WWVP Card. They argue that meeting with children, youth and disadvantaged is inherent to the role of elected officials. The Tasmanian Government disagrees.

My personal observation is that not all employing entities are fulfilling their WWVP obligations with anecdotal reports of poor compliance in sporting codes such as the AFL. This is particularly alarming considering the findings of catastrophic safeguarding failures by the Tasmanian Commission of Inquiry and the Commonwealth Royal Commission of 2017.

The WWVP Regulator and the Office of the Independent Regulator apparently have no proactive auditing processes of employing entities, and as such compliance is only monitored in the breach, after the victims emerge!

Curiously some groups are exempt under the legislation including football umpires, lines-people and lifesavers!

Key takeaways–    

1. While it has limitations the WWVP Card is our first line of defence. It is foundational to all other safeguarding efforts.
2. Inconsistent enforcement of the WWVP legislation has created avoidable risks for children.
3. Efforts are underway to strengthen the WWVP scheme in Tasmania

 Conversation starters:

1. Do you know if your children are being supervised by adults with a WWVP Card?
2. Should elected officials be required to have a WWVP Card?