A large number of organizations now necessitate pre-employment background checks, both paid and unpaid. To avoid unnecessary delays in the hiring process and to guarantee the employee is a good fit for the role, it is in everyone’s best interest for employers to do complete background checks as soon as possible.

It used to take a long time to complete a police check since paperwork had to be filled out and mailed in. The use of online and telephone verification tools has greatly accelerated this procedure while maintaining its accuracy.

In New South Wales, criminal records from every state and territory are checked. Whether you’re at Byron Bay, Broken Hill, or Bombala, the results of the police check will be the same. All ongoing charges, convictions, guilty findings without conviction, bonds, or court orders will show up on your police check, but expunged convictions will not. It’s important to note that minor convictions from years ago won’t show up on a modern police record check in New South Wales since “spent” convictions aren’t included in records.

Exactly how long are NSW police checks valid for?

The majority of fields, including those requiring working with minors checks, mandate a refreshed background check every five years. However, there may be special cases that call for more regular police checks. Employers of private enterprises have more leeway in deciding how often their workers must submit to criminal background checks.

When conducting a criminal record check in New South Wales, how far back do they look?

A New South Wales police check may reveal convictions dating as far back as your childhood, though there are exceptions to this rule. Like other states and territories, New South Wales has a “spent conviction” law.

A conviction is considered spent after the specified amount of time has passed without further criminal activity or if the terms of a conditional release order have been fulfilled. For example, no matter how much time has elapsed, a conviction for a crime that carried a prison sentence of more than six months, for sexual offenses, or against a body corporate will always show up on a police check.

Who needs a national police check in New South Wales?

Background checks are routinely performed on new hires, volunteers, and licensing applicants. Some fields demand background checks of all applicants, while others voluntarily conduct them.

Industries requiring weapons training, such as those in law enforcement, corrections, and security, are subject to mandatory police background checks. Similarly, a background check is required for any profession where the worker would have direct contact with minors or the elderly, such as teaching, child care, or the healthcare field. It’s not just for paid jobs that need these checks; if the prerequisites are satisfied, they’re necessary for volunteer labor as well.

In addition to the health and financial sectors, jobs where public engagement is a significant element of the job description may also necessitate a police check.

Visit https://www.crimcheck.org.au/police-check-nsw for further information.