A sports club, an out-of-school-hours program, a tutoring company with a London office - each has the same quiet problem. Screening checks were done at hiring, and nobody owns the date they lapse.
This page covers children's-workforce screening clocks: Australian Working with Children Check cards and UK DBS checks, one row per worker per jurisdiction. General employment screening lives on background check tracking. (General information only - not legal advice. See Sources.)
Remindax tracks check or card numbers, check type, jurisdiction, issue and expiry dates, subscription renewal dates, verification dates, owners, and status. It does not run checks, store criminal-history details, or decide who needs a check or whether someone is suitable.
1. What is Working with Children Check tracking?
It is a dated record of which screening check each worker holds, where it applies, when it was issued, when it ends or needs renewing, and when your organisation last confirmed it.
Two very different systems end up on the same roster. Australian states issue a clearance with a fixed life. The UK Disclosure and Barring Service issues a certificate with no official expiry, and the date that matters is how recently someone confirmed it. Your safeguarding lead decides which checks apply.
1.1 What sits on each row
Worker, role, and site
The employee or volunteer, the role they hold, and where they work.
Jurisdiction and check type
An Australian state card, or a UK enhanced DBS certificate with or without a barred list check.
Issued, expiry, subscription
Issue date, card expiry for Australian checks, and Update Service renewal for UK checks.
Verification and owner
The date your organisation last verified the check, who did it, and who owns the row.
2. How long does an Australian Working with Children Check last?
Each state runs its own scheme, so the validity period comes from the state, not from a national rule. This page only names the two states whose official sites we checked on October 12, 2026. For any other state or territory, confirm the period on that government's own site before you set the due date.
| State | What the official site says | What it means for the roster |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | A NSW WWCC clearance lasts for 5 years and is continuously monitored, even if the holder moves jobs | Expiry is 5 years from the clearance date shown on the record |
| Victoria | A clearance is valid for 5 years unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered; it can be renewed online up to six months before it expires and for three months after | Open the renewal task 6 months out; a lapsed card past 3 months needs a new application |
Summary only, based on the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian, Service NSW, and vic.gov.au pages in Sources, checked October 12, 2026. Not legal advice.
3. Do UK DBS checks expire, and what is the Update Service?
GOV.UK guidance for employers says there is no official expiry date for a criminal record check issued by DBS. The certificate reflects the position on the day it was issued, so the date your team tracks is not an expiry. It is a re-check date your own policy sets, or the next status check through the Update Service.
| Item | What GOV.UK says | Roster field |
|---|---|---|
| DBS certificate | No official expiry date | Issue date plus a policy re-check date |
| Update Service subscription | Lasts for one year; renew up to 30 days before it ends, or choose automatic renewal, but not on the last day | Subscription end date, reminder before the 30-day window |
| Lapsed subscription | If not renewed before it ends, the person needs a new DBS check and must register again | Status: lapsed - new check needed |
| Employer status check | Free and needs no registration; the employer must be legally entitled to carry out a check and have the worker's permission | Last status check date and who ran it |
Summary only, based on the gov.uk pages in Sources, checked October 12, 2026. Who needs which level of check is a question for DBS guidance and your own advisers - this page does not answer it.
4. What does a children's-workforce screening roster look like?
One row per worker per jurisdiction, with check type, number, dates, verification, owner, and status. The example is illustrative - names, numbers, and dates are made up.
| Worker | Jurisdiction | Check type | Issued | Expiry / next date | Last verified | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worker A | NSW | WWCC - paid | Mar 4, 2022 | Mar 4, 2027 | Feb 1, 2026 | Swim coach | Current |
| Worker A | VIC | WWC Clearance - employee | Jun 9, 2022 | Jun 9, 2027 (renew from Dec 9, 2026) | Feb 1, 2026 | Swim coach | Renewal window soon |
| Worker B | VIC | WWC Clearance - volunteer | Nov 20, 2021 | Nov 20, 2026 | Jan 12, 2026 | Camp volunteer | Due soon |
| Worker C | England | Enhanced DBS with barred list | Apr 2, 2025 | Update Service ends Apr 2, 2027 | Sep 15, 2026 (status check) | Tutor | Current |
| Worker D | England | Enhanced DBS | Jan 18, 2024 | Policy re-check Jan 18, 2027 | Jan 18, 2024 | Office support | Not on Update Service |
Illustrative roster only. The DBS re-check interval shown is an example company policy, not a legal interval. The NSW and Victorian expiries follow the 5-year periods stated on the official sites in Sources.
5. Why does a worker in two states need two rows?
Because each state issues its own clearance with its own number, issue date, and expiry. A coach who runs sessions on both sides of the Murray holds two cards that will almost never expire on the same day.
One row per card
Each jurisdiction gets its own row with its own number, dates, and reminder schedule.
Grouped by worker
Rows link back to the same person, so their manager sees every check in one view.
Volunteer vs employee type
Some states issue volunteer and paid versions. Record the type, because a change of role may mean a change of card.
6. What should a screening tracker not store?
The tracker is for dates and status. Keep it that way:
Numbers and dates
Check or card number, check type, jurisdiction, issue, expiry, subscription end, and verification dates.
Status and owner
Current, due soon, renewal lodged, lapsed, plus who owns the next step.
Criminal-history details
Disclosed offences, certificate content, or notes about outcomes. Handle those under your own safeguarding process.
7. Which owner model works for screening check records?
Split the work by stage, then give the safeguarding lead one view across every site:
HR or volunteer coordinator
Opens the row, records the number and dates, and logs the first verification.
Worker plus manager
The worker renews their own card or subscription; the manager is copied so nothing slips.
Safeguarding lead
Reviews overdue and lapsed rows and decides next steps under your policy.
7.1 An example escalation ladder
- ✓Victorian card 6 months out: the worker is reminded that the online renewal window is open, with the manager copied.
- ✓Update Service 45 days out: the worker is reminded to renew inside the 30-day window, not on the last day.
- ✓Date passed: the row turns overdue and escalates to the safeguarding lead by Email, SMS, or WhatsApp.
The offsets above are examples your team sets. Certification tracking software works best when these reminders live in the tool, not in one coordinator's inbox.
8. How Remindax tracks Working with Children Checks
Remindax is date-and-status tracking - not a screening provider:
Every worker on one roster
Check type, number, jurisdiction, and dates per worker, grouped by site or program.
Expiry and subscription dates
Card expiries and Update Service end dates, each with its own reminder schedule.
Verification logged
Record when your organisation last verified each check and who did it.
Exports by site or status
Cards expiring next quarter, or rows with no verification date yet.
Remindax does not run checks, read certificates, connect to state or DBS systems, store criminal-history details, or decide who needs a check. It holds numbers, dates, statuses, and owners on AWS hosting with encryption. GDPR-ready.
9. Why spreadsheets fail for Working with Children Check tracking
A spreadsheet holds a date. It cannot warn anyone that a card or subscription is about to lapse.
- xOne row per person, so a second state card goes missing
- xNo alert when a card or subscription is close to ending
- xDBS rows show no expiry, so nobody ever re-checks
- xFree-text notes drift into sensitive detail
- ✓One row per worker per jurisdiction
- ✓Reminders before each expiry and renewal window
- ✓Policy re-check and status-check dates for DBS rows
- ✓Structured fields for dates and status only
10. Key takeaways
- ✓Track one row per worker per jurisdiction, with check type, number, issue date, expiry or next date, verification date, owner, and status.
- ✓NSW and Victorian clearances last 5 years, per their official sites; Victoria allows renewal from six months before expiry.
- ✓GOV.UK says a DBS check has no official expiry; the Update Service subscription lasts one year and must be renewed before it ends.
- ✓Store numbers, dates, and status only - never criminal-history details.
- ✓Remindax tracks dates and status and reminds by Email, SMS, and WhatsApp. It does not run checks or give legal advice. Free to start.
11. Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the state. The NSW Office of the Children's Guardian says a NSW clearance lasts for 5 years, and vic.gov.au says a Victorian clearance is valid for 5 years unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered. For any other state or territory, confirm the period on that government's own site before setting a due date.
vic.gov.au says a clearance can be renewed online up to six months before it expires and for three months after it expires. After that, a new application is needed. A reminder six months out gives the worker the full window.
GOV.UK guidance for employers says there is no official expiry date for a criminal record check issued by DBS. Many organisations set their own re-check interval, or use the Update Service to run status checks. Record whichever date your policy uses.
GOV.UK says a subscription lasts for one year. It can be renewed up to 30 days before it ends, or set to renew automatically, but not on the last day. If it lapses, the person needs a new DBS check and must register again.
Each state issues its own clearance with its own number, issue date and expiry. Keeping one row per worker per jurisdiction means each card gets its own reminders and neither date is lost.
No. Remindax tracks check or card numbers, check types, jurisdictions, dates, verification dates, owners and status. It does not run checks, read certificates, or store criminal-history details.
This page covers children's-workforce screening clocks such as state Working with Children Checks and UK DBS checks. General employment screening is covered on background check tracking, which you can link as a separate row for the same worker.
Yes - a forever-free plan, no credit card required.
Sources & References
General information - not legal advice. NSW, Victorian, and GOV.UK pages checked October 12, 2026. Other Australian states and territories run their own schemes; confirm their rules on the official site.
- *NSW Office of the Children's Guardian - Working with Children Check
- *Service NSW - Apply for a Working with Children Check
- *vic.gov.au - The Working with Children Check explained
- *vic.gov.au - Current Working with Children Clearance holders
- *Service Victoria - Working with Children Check
- *GOV.UK - DBS Update Service
- *GOV.UK - DBS check requests: guidance for employers
- *GOV.UK - Disclosure and Barring Service
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