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Community Visitors Scheme Volunteers

The attached document reminds approved providers and aged care services that CVS auspices conduct a National Criminal History Check (police check) for CVS volunteers prior to a volunteer commencing in a home.

The Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) is a program funded by the Department of Health and Ageing to provide one on one volunteer visitors to residents of Commonwealth subsidised aged care homes who are socially isolated and whose quality of life would be improved by friendship and companionship.

PDF printable version of Community Visitors Scheme Volunteers (PDF 37 KB)

A reminder to aged care homes about police checks for Community Visitors Scheme volunteers

• Approved providers are required to ensure that staff and volunteers working in an aged care home have had a National Criminal History Record Check (commonly known as a police check) and have not been convicted of an offence that would preclude the person working or volunteering in the home.
• As part of this requirement, Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) volunteers must undergo a police check. These checks are undertaken by the CVS auspices prior to a volunteer commencing in a home.
• Approved providers must be satisfied that Community Visitors who visit their home have a current police check and have been assessed as suitable to volunteer in aged care.
• Community Visitors assessed by the CVS auspice as suitable to visit will provide a Community Visitors Scheme Police Check Assessment letter confirming their suitability to your organisation, and will provide a new letter as police checks are renewed. Provided that the letter is current, the home is not required to view the original police check. The letter template is attached for your reference.
• When these letters are received from Community Visitors they should be kept on file to demonstrate that you have met the requirements of Commonwealth aged care legislation in relation to the police check for the Community Visitor, and the related record-keeping requirements.
• Homes are not required to request copies of the original police check from a person who visits solely through the CVS.
• Approved providers should note that they are obliged to grant access to Community Visitors under the Aged Care Act 1997. The User Rights Principles 1997 (section 23.10) under the Act specify that “the approved provider must allow a person acting for an authorised body to have access to the residential care service: during normal business hours; or if a care recipient, or a care recipient’s representative, has asked for a person acting for the authorised body to assist the care recipient—at any time”.
• Please contact your CVS coordinator if you have any further queries. Alternatively, you may seek further advice on police checks through the Department of Health and Ageing’s Aged Care Information Line on 1800 500 853.

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Community Visitors Scheme Police Check Assessment

[Insert name of aged care home]

Dear Aged Care Home Manager

This letter is based on a standard letter developed by the Department of Health and Ageing. Please keep this letter on file to demonstrate that you have met the requirements of Commonwealth aged care legislation relating to the police check for the Community Visitor named below, and the related record-keeping requirements.

I am the coordinator of the Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) at [Insert name of auspice]. I am writing to inform you that [Insert name of visitor], has been approved to visit/continue visiting (cross out whichever is not applicable) with the CVS and, as at the date of this letter, meets the police check requirements of the Commonwealth aged care legislation.

This approval means: [delete whichever paragraph is not applicable]

• s/he has a current National Criminal History Record Check (generally referred to as a “police check”) that does not record that [Insert name of visitor] has been convicted of an offence that would preclude him/her from being a volunteer in aged care; [OR]
• [if receipt of the police check is pending, or the CVS visitor has been a citizen or a permanent resident of a country other than Australia since turning sixteen] s/he has signed a Statutory Declaration stating that s/he has not been convicted of an offence that would preclude him/her from being a volunteer in aged care.

The National Criminal History Record Reference Number is:

The police check for the purposes of the CVS will expire on [Insert date three years from date the police check was conducted]. We will ensure that a new check is applied for before that date.

This auspice has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the CVS visitor. The MOU includes that the visitor must notify us of any change to their criminal history before the expiry date —i.e. if the person is charged with, or convicted of, a crime. Should this occur, we will notify you as soon as possible and advise whether the visitor can continue visiting, or must cease visiting.

If you become aware that the CVS visitor has been convicted of an offence that would preclude the person from being a volunteer in aged care, you should notify us immediately and take any other steps to meet the statutory requirements relating to police checks, including restricting access to care recipients.

The MOU also includes a description of expected and appropriate activities and behaviours of CVS visitors whilst visiting a care recipient in an aged care home. If you wish to see a copy of the MOU template or a summary of the proscribed activities of a CVS visitor, please contact me.

My role as co-ordinator includes supporting the visitor and liaison with you and your staff on the objectives of the CVS and any practical issues which may arise. Please do not hesitate to contact me on [Insert contact details of auspice co-ordinator] to discuss any matter related to the operations of the CVS and its visitors.

Yours sincerely

[Insert name of coordinator]
Coordinator
[Insert name of auspice]
[Insert Date]

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