NSW Government reaches major milestone with digital Working with Children Check renewals

The Minns Labor government has launched a new option to renew Working with Children Checks (WWCCs) online, the first of its kind in Australia and a step towards more digital identification solutions.

About 1,000 WWCCs are renewed each day, and nurses, teachers and childcare workers are among the 1.9 million people in NSW who will save valuable time with the online renewal option.

The online WWCC renewal is the first major product being rolled out under the NSW Digital ID program and is a significant step in the NSW Government’s journey towards a convenient and secure digital identity for residents.

Online renewals remove the need to share copies of physical documents to prove an identity, using photo verification technology to securely verify a person’s identity and a liveness check to determine if a person is present in front of a mobile phone.

Service NSW will confirm the identity of a person by matching their live facial scan with the reference image associated with them, such as the photo that was taken when a driver licence was issued.

To preserve privacy and safeguard against fraud, photos used for verification are immediately and permanently destroyed after the real-time check is completed.

More than a million residents, or roughly 14 per cent of the state, do not hold a NSW driver licence but are holders of government issued photo cards. To make transacting with NSW Government even more inclusive for the community, those with a photo card will also be able to renew their WWCC online.

Renewing a WWCC using digital proof of identity is optional and people can still apply in-person at Service NSW.

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib said:

“Being able to renew a Working with Children Check online will save a lot of time for our essential workers and remove the manual process of presenting documents in-person to prove their identity.”

“The new online option will particularly benefit the many hard-working social workers, teachers and health and childcare workers who live and work in remote areas who can’t conveniently get to a Service NSW Centre.”

“This is the first significant step towards a digital ID and sets the foundation for renewing other credentials online, helping residents access services faster, easier, and with confidence their personal information is protected.”

Minister of Families and Communities Kate Washington said:

“The Digital Working with Children Check Renewal makes it easier for essential workers to keep their essential clearances up to date.”

“Our government wants to make life easier for the 1.9 million people with Working with Children Checks who are helping create a safer state for our kids.”