About screening checks
The screening check looks into a person’s criminal and work misconduct history to make sure they are suitable for work in an aged care setting.
Types of screening
There are currently 2 screening options for the aged care workforce, depending on your role and whether your employer is also a registered National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider.
Police check and certificate
A police check is the process of checking a person has a criminal history. A police certificate is a report of a person’s criminal history.
The 2 terms are interchangeable in aged care.
NDIS Worker Screening Check
NDIS Worker Screening Checks are recognised in aged care. They check your:
- national criminal history
- relevant reportable incidents
- relevant disciplinary proceedings or complaints.
You must have this check if you work or want to work in:
- a risk-assessed role with people with disability
- an aged care setting that supports NDIS participants.
Screening requirements
Current screening requirements to work in aged care vary depending on:
- your role
- the aged care provider you work for.
| Role | Screening requirement |
|---|---|
| New or ongoing aged care staff who will work with NDIS participants | NDIS Worker Screening Check |
| New or ongoing aged care staff who will not work with NDIS participants | Police certificate |
| Role | Screening requirement |
|---|---|
| New or ongoing aged care staff member who will not work with NDIS participants | Police certificate |
| New or ongoing aged care staff member who previously worked with NDIS participants | Police certificate Aged care providers recognise valid NDIS Worker Screening Checks. |
Future of screening checks
We are working to introduce a new Aged Care Worker Screening Check for risk-assessed roles. A risk-assessed role in aged care will be one that:
- is a responsible person (for example a CEO or Board Member)
- is involved in the direct delivery of aged care services to older people
- is likely to have ‘more than incidental contact’ with older people accessing aged care services as a normal part of their duties.
The process for Aged Care Worker Screening Checks will be the same as NDIS Worker Screening Checks. The new screening process for aged care will not start before 2026.
To work in a risk-assessed role in aged care under the new system, you will need one of these:
- an Aged Care Worker Screening Check
- an NDIS Worker Screening Check
- AHPRA registration.
The check required for risk-assessed roles depends on the type of provider you work for:
| Provider | Check required for risk-assessed roles |
|---|---|
| Aged care | One of either:
|
| NDIS | One of either:
|
Workers and volunteers who do not work in a risk-assessed role will need a current police check to work in aged care.
Why we are making this change
The new check considers more information than a police check, and will:
- create a national approach that better protects older people
- make it easier for workers to move between employers in the disability and aged care sectors or work in both sectors
- make it easier for workers to work in a different state or territory
- make it easier to employ workers who have already been screened to work in aged care or disability
- make it easier to employ workers who are registered with AHPRA to work in aged care
- allow the ongoing monitoring of workers
- prevent unsuitable workers from providing care to older people.
Consultation
We consulted extensively about introducing a new national screening check similar to the NDIS screening check. This consultation provided strong support from:
- people accessing aged care
- aged care workers
- aged care providers
- unions
- professional bodies and peaks
- governments.
Next steps
Aged care providers and workers do not need to prepare for the new screening check yet.
Workers will not be required to have the new check in place when the new process starts. They can continue to use their existing police check until it expires. This transitional arrangement will make sure:
- new screening applications are processed efficiently
- workers can continue to work without interruption.
We know providers need time to get ready. We are working with states and territories to plan for implementation. We will share information with providers as soon as we can.
Resources
For more information, see: