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Procedure: Criminal record screening for students undertaking clinical placements

Purpose

To advise students of the procedures they must follow for criminal record screening if undertaking clinical placements in health facilities.

Procedure

Provision and timing of information

  1. Students who successfully apply for a program where a clinical placement in a health facility is compulsory under the program requirements, are provided with relevant information at the time the University offers a place in that program and are informed of the requirement to submit their application to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) (https://afpnationalpolicechecks.converga.com.au/).
  2. Students electing to undertake a course requiring clinical placement in a health facility, where clinical placement is not a compulsory requirement of their program, are informed of the requirement to submit their application to the AFP at the earliest possible time after they have enrolled in the course.
  3. Students submit the ‘National Police Check (NPC) Application Form’ to the AFP directly and are responsible for any costs incurred in undertaking the criminal history check.
  4. A ‘Name Check’ is sufficient to meet the requirements of the ACT and NSW governments and the legislation outlined in the Criminal record screening for students undertaking placements policy. Students select code number 19 (Child/Aged/Disabled Care provider/worker) under Section 8 of the NPC Application Form.
  5. To satisfy the ACT and NSW requirements, the University is provided a copy of the certificate issued by the AFP prior to a student commencing a placement.
  6. To allow the University to receive the certificate directly from the AFP, students give their consent to the AFP to release the certificate to the University. This is done by nominating ‘the Australian National University’ as the organisation on the NPC Application Form.
  7. Where the University receives the certificate directly from the AFP, a copy is placed on the student’s record and the original certificate is provided to the student to inform them of the outcome of their criminal history check.
  8. Students retain the original certificate issued after the check has been conducted for the duration of their enrolment in the program that requires a placement as they can be required to present the certificate when attending a clinical placement in an ACT or NSW government health facility.
  9. The University is required to disclose the criminal history check information outcome to the Clinical Placement Office (ACT placements) or the Public Health Organisation (NSW placements).
  10. In accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the University does not disclose certificate information to any person outside the University, without the specific written consent of the student, except as set out in the Criminal record screening for students undertaking placements policy and procedure.

Results of criminal record screening check

  1. The Clinical Placement Office (ACT placements) or the Public Health Organisation (NSW placements) contact the student directly if further information is required, and determines whether a placement will be allowed given the information disclosed by the criminal history check.
  2. Where a clinical placement is refused due to the results of the criminal history check, the student is advised of either alternative course enrolment (where a clinical placement is not a compulsory part of a student’s program) or of alternative University program options (where a clinical placement is a compulsory part of a student’s program).

Appeals

  1. Appeals against the decision as a result of the outcome of a criminal history check are made, in writing, directly to the Clinical Placement Office (ACT Health placements) or as outlined by the Employment Screening and Review Unit (NSW Health placements).
  2. Students appeal in writing to the Associate Dean (Education) of the relevant college if they were not informed of the requirements of a criminal history check to complete their program, where the clinical placement is compulsory under their program requirements.
  3. The Associate Dean (Education) provides an outcome in writing for the student’s appeal within 20 business days of the College receiving the appeal, including grounds for the decision made.
  4. The Associate Dean (Education) take into account:
  1. The effect of the lapse in procedure on the student’s program;
  2. The student’s potential to complete the program despite the lapse in procedure; and
  3. Reasonable mitigation for the student, where the effect on the student has been detrimental to the student’s progress in the program; or
  4. Alternative program options where a student cannot complete the program.
  1. A student appeals to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), on procedural grounds only, within 20 business days against a decision made under the previous clause.

Information

 Printable version (PDF)
Title Criminal record screening for students undertaking clinical placements in health facilities
Document Type Procedure
Document Number ANUP_004402
Version
Purpose To advise students of the procedures they must follow for criminal record screening if undertaking clinical placements in health facilities.
Audience Staff
Category Academic
Topic/ SubTopic Students
 
Effective Date 9 Nov 2020
Next Review Date 9 Nov 2025
 
Responsible Officer: Registrar, Student Administration
Approved By: Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
Contact Area Division of Student Administration and Academic Services
Authority: Advocate for Children and Young People Act 2014.
Privacy Act 1988
Delegations 0

Information generated and received by ANU staff in the course of conducting business on behalf of ANU is a record and should be captured by an authorised recordkeeping system. To learn more about University records and recordkeeping practice at ANU, see ANU recordkeeping and Policy: Records and archives management.

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Policy
Criminal record screening for students undertaking clinical placements in health facilities