Information for carers about the Carers Register

Last update: 08 February 2023

An overview of the NSW Carers Register for carers and their household members.

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    What is the NSW Carers Register?

    The NSW Carers Register is a central database of people who have applied to become an authorised carer, or have been authorised as a carer, to provide statutory or supported out-of-home care in NSW.

    The register helps to ensure that only appropriate individuals are authorised as carers in NSW. It does this by:

    • requiring mandatory probity and suitability checks to be completed, and
    • supporting agencies to exchange information with other agencies, about those who apply to be a carer, those already authorised as carers and their household members.  

     

    Who is entered onto the Carers Register?

    The Carers Register is a secure system that contains information used to help assess a person’s suitability to provide out-of-home care to children and young people. This includes details of:

    • individuals who apply to become an authorised carer
    • individuals authorised to provide out-of-home care
    • household members, including adults, young people and children who regularly live in the carer’s home or reside in a dwelling that adjoins the home.

     

    What information is collected and recorded?

    The Carers Register records the following information about carer applicants and authorised carers, and their household members:

    • Identification details. Carer and household member names, previous names, gender, date of birth, and whether they identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
    • Household details. The residential address, a list of all persons living in the home and the outcome of a home inspection. 
    • Application and authorisation history. Carer application and authorisation history, including where an application is refused, or an authorisation is cancelled or suspended.
    • Probity and suitability check outcomes. Someone can only become an authorised carer once an agency has conducted certain probity and suitability checks on them and their household members. The outcome of these checks is included on the register (Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory), but not the details. Agencies are required to have their own more detailed records outside of the register, which is used as the basis for sharing information with other agencies a carer may apply to.   
    • Information on reportable allegations. Whenever an agency is investigating a reportable allegation, this is noted on the register. Only the date and status are recorded, there are no details included on the register. The finalised outcome is also recorded, and this reflects whether the agency has made a decision that there may be ongoing risks to the safety of a child in out-of-home care. 

     

    Who has access to the information on the register?

    The designated agency that a carer applies to or is authorised by, is responsible for entering information onto the register and ensuring this is kept up to date. 

    Designated agencies must maintain the register and their obligations are spelled out under the Children’s Guardian Act 2019 and the Young Persons (Care and Protection) Regulation 2012.  

    An agency only has access to information about its own carers and household members but is also able to access the application and authorisation history of an individual (and their household members) who applies to the agency to become an authorised carer.

    Agencies can use the information recorded on the register to help them to share information which impacts their decision to authorise someone as a carer. This might include the outcome of a reportable allegation investigation.

    Only the Office of the Children's Guardian and the Department of Communities and Justice have full access to the register. The NSW Ombudsman, NSW Police and other law enforcement, investigative and child protection bodies - including bodies in other jurisdictions - may also request access to the register.

    How to request to view or change your information

    Agencies are required to tell you that certain information must be entered into the Carers Register, and your consent is not required. If you say that you don’t want your information entered onto the register, the application to be a carer cannot proceed.

    If you’re a carer, applicant carer or an adult household member, you can ask to receive or amend information held in the Carers Register. You may be able to have information updated or corrected on the register by contacting your designated agency first.

    For further information about receiving or amending information held in the Carers Register email carers-register@ocg.nsw.gov.au

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