The VCR provides increased protection for children and young people in out-of-home care by:
- providing a mechanism for information about carers that have been disqualified or are under investigation to be disclosed to registered out-of-home care services through disqualified carer checks and
- notifying all agencies with a current registration or open disqualified carer check for the carer when an allegation of abuse (section 81/82 report) has been received.
Carers in-scope of the VCR are largely foster and residential carers but also include any person employed or engaged by the service to provide ‘services to children’ at an out-of-home care residential facility managed by the service.
Recently, the Human Services Regulator provided a presentation for out-of-home care services about the requirements of Part 3.4 of the Act. This included a detailed discussion of how to determine if a carer is in-scope of the VCR. A video of the presentation is now available here.
Further resources to support out-of-home care services to comply with the requirements are available at Victorian Carer Register website, including an eLearning module to be completed by out-of-home care staff, prior to accessing the Victoria Carer Register web-based application, for the first time.
A section 81/82 report form and related guidance is also provided to support compliance with reporting requirements and the carer investigation process.
For more information, please contact carer.register@dffh.vic.gov.au