Online renewal of the Working with Children Check

Helping essential workers save time through online renewals of their Working with Children Check​

The Working with Children Check (WWCC) is a requirement for anyone who works or volunteers in child-related work in NSW, including social workers, teachers, health and childcare workers. A new digital solution allows these workers to renew their WWCC online in as little as 10 minutes, without needing to present identity documents in person at a Service NSW centre. This significantly reduces the effort and time required to renew their credentials. It also supports customers who are unable to access a Service NSW centre, including customers who live and work in remote or regional areas.​

The digital solution uses biometric capabilities to match a live facial scan of the customer with a reference image, such as their driver licence photo, to confirm their identity. To preserve privacy and safeguard against fraud, the photo used for verification is discarded after the real-time check is completed.​

Achievements

Renewing a WWCC online saves the average user 90 mins and has generated over $2.5 million in total productivity gains across 70,000 people. An online WWCC renewal is also half the cost of an in-person WWCC renewal, saving the NSW Government over $500,000 to date.​

Engagement

The Department of Customer Service worked closely with The Office of the Children's Guardian, the Information and Privacy Commission NSW (IPC) and the AI Review Committee (previously known as the AI Advisory Committee) to develop a safe, secure and trustworthy solution.​

Department leading the project

Department of Customer Service