In the childcare sector, it is a legal requirement for all staff to have valid Working with Children Checks (WWCC) as part of compliance with regulations relating to child safety. To best monitor and maintain compliance, childcare providers should implement a risk and compliance platform to allow the organisation to efficiently manage WWCC compliance processes. Recent cases have demonstrated that insufficient compliance mechanisms can result in organisational and stakeholder failures. 

This article discusses the benefits of a risk and compliance platform as a prevention tool in monitoring and maintaining WWCC and together with an external speak up hotline, enables the early detection of matters to enable them to be brought to the attention of the organisation and actioned before they escalate.  

Risk and Compliance Platform 

A risk and compliance platform, such as Corethix, provides a centralised compliance management system that enables childcare organisations to track, verify, and maintain WWCC certifications across their workforce. Administrators can assign compliance tasks, monitor certificate expiry dates, and automate renewal reminders. Automated alerts notify both the employee and their manager when certifications are about to expire, which helps mitigate risks associated with non-compliance. 

The platform allows for secure document uploads of WWCC certificates. Management reviews and verifies these documents, and notifications confirm receipt and verification to employees, establishing an auditable record of compliance activities. This process ensures staff have appropriate certification to work with children and facilitates oversight by parents and regulatory authorities. 

For administrators, platforms such as Corethix include audit logs and reporting features. These enable organisations to demonstrate compliance during inspections and reviews, with records stored securely and accessible as needed. The audit-ready design assists childcare providers in preparing for regulatory engagement. 

In addition to compliance tracking, risk and compliance platforms encourage regular staff engagement with key policies, including those related to child safety and conduct. This engagement helps reinforce organisational policies and expectations.  

Such platforms are scalable, supporting organisations of various sizes and structures and allows childcare organisations to prevent the wrong people from potentially entering their organisation. 

External Hotlines 

Together with a risk and compliance platform, external and independent Speak Up Hotlines, such as the Core Integrity Speak Up service, give staff, families, and stakeholders a confidential way to report concerns on topics from child safety to misconduct. As an early detection tool, an external hotline is an independent channel that supports transparency and complies with child protection, whistleblower, and privacy legislation. Reports are triaged and assessed by qualified analysts to ensure appropriate handling, allowing the organisation to become aware of issues and address them appropriately. 

These services offer multiple reporting channels, including online platform, toll-free numbers, QR codes, and email, to accommodate different reporting preferences. Using a trauma-informed approach, reporters receive support from trained analysts, who will submit their report to those within the organisation who are tasked with actioning those concerns.  

Hotline providers also supply regular reviews, training, and data insights, helping childcare centres identify trends, improve workplace culture, and enhance safeguarding practices. Childcare centres can select packages aligned to their requirements, ranging from basic setups to comprehensive compliance platforms integrated with solutions like Corethix. 

Implementing both a compliance platform and an external hotline signals to parents, regulators and stakeholders that your childcare organisation is taking steps to meet its childcare obligations beyond basic compliance requirements.