Oho, the live verification and compliance platform, is positioning organisations to stay ahead as Australia enters a child-safeguarding “enforcement era.”

In the space of a few months, governments have pledged to tighten screening rules, flagged national data-sharing, and set new obligations that affect any organisation whose people interact with children, on-site or off it. Adjacent sectors like disability and aged care are also being drawn in through programs and services that routinely involve families. With the new Aged Care Act coming into effect on November 1, these sectors are facing even greater scrutiny and expanded compliance responsibilities.

Here’s what’s changing, why it matters, and how Oho helps organisations comply with worker screening obligations

What’s changing (and when)

1) A national push to close WWCC gaps

Attorneys-General agreed to deliver mutual recognition of negative Working with Children Check (WWCC) decisions, “banned in one, banned in all”, by the end of this year. Practically, a barring, suspension or revocation in one state will be honoured across other jurisdictions, strengthening data sharing between agencies  and reducing cross-border risk.

2) Early childhood reforms: national register & CCTV trial

Education ministers backed a national educator register and a trial of CCTV in up to 300 centres, alongside strengthened national law settings prioritising children’s best interests. These changes will improve transparency in workforce suitability and compliance.. Timelines begin through late-2025 into 2026. 

3) Victoria: WWCC powers broadened, faster suspensions

Victoria is fast-tracking laws to immediately suspend WWCCs under reassessment, enable cancellations for false/misleading information, and implement national mutual recognition. The government has already moved to consider education prohibition notices when deciding or revoking clearances. Further recommendations include mandatory child safe training and broader risk information sharing for decisions to strengthen worker verifications.

4) Queensland: Child Safe Standards & Reportable Conduct

From 1 October 2025, Queensland begins phased commencement of Child Safe Standards, followed by a Reportable Conduct Scheme (sector timelines continue through 2026).  Guidance, self-assessment tools and a readiness program are now live to help organisations meet new compliance and screening obligations across roles requiring a Blue Card or Working with Vulnerable People check.

5) Aged care: new Act and tighter screening expectations

The new Aged Care Act commences 1 November 2025, with updated worker-screening definitions and record-keeping requirements. Workers will need either a police certificate or an NDIS Worker Screening check, with broader worker-screening changes stepping in alongside the new framework .These updates elevate recruitment screening standards and reinforce compliance expectations across aged care providers.

6) Disability (NDIS): stronger workforce safeguards

NDIS worker screening remains nationally applied and is being embedded into wider market-integrity and safeguards reforms arising from the 2023 Review (e.g., risk-proportionate regulation, workforce quality). Expect more visibility, verifications and enforcement across 2025–26 as regulators tighten screening obligations and provider compliance expectations.

7) Victoria: Stronger recruitment and screening expectations 

Following the Victorian Review into Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) regulation, new recommendations call for tougher screening and recruitment practices on hire. Providers are expected to strengthen background and reference checks, improve staff induction, and embed child safe culture across entire organisations. Updated expectations will be issued to the ECEC regulator to drive consistency and accountability sector-wide.

Why this matters for every organisation

• Incidental child contact now counts. Laws and standards increasingly capture workers and volunteers whose usual duties aren’t child-facing but still involve children being present or accessible (e.g., reception, maintenance, event staff, committee members). 
• With national data sharing expanding visibility of worker suitability, organisations now have both the means and the responsibility to verify more often. Periodic checks are becoming outdated and risky as expectations shift toward continuous assurance.
• Boards and executives are now in scope, with new governance and reporting duties under child-safe and reportable conduct schemes.

Cross-sector impact:

• Disability providers face NDIS worker screening plus local child-safe standards where children are supported. 
• Aged care intersects through intergenerational programs, volunteers, contractors and mixed service settings; the new Act strengthens screening and record-keeping expectations. 
• Best-practice in early childhood and family supports already emphasises integrated safeguards, robust workforce checking and governance. 

How Oho helps you stay ahead

Automated, ongoing verification

• Verify right-to-work checks, cards and clearances against live government portals across states and schemes, then get real-time alerts when a status changes. No spreadsheets, no blind spots, less risk.  

Single source of truth for audits

• Centralise all WWCC, Blue Card, NDIS data, permissions and evidence. Oho provides a durable audit trail. 

Built for complex workforces

• Oho Cover’s employees, volunteers, contractors and multi-site operations, and integrates with HR, payroll and Applicant Tracking (ATS) systems to ensure onboarding compliance by default. 
• For aged care organisations preparing for 1 November 2025, Oho can prove every “responsible person” and worker meets screening requirements, and that records meet the new Act’s definitions.
• For complex childcare, disability and other organisations with frequent staff turnover and the need to deploy suitable people quickly, Oho maintains visibility across changing teams and locations, helping ensure every worker remains compliant at all times.

FAQs (for searchers)

What’s the “banned in one, banned in all” change?
It’s a planned mutual-recognition regime so a negative WWCC decision in one jurisdiction applies nationally, targeted for implementation by end-2025.

Will CCTV in childcare be mandatory?
Not initially. Governments agreed to a national trial (roughly 300 services) while privacy, storage and effectiveness are assessed; timelines step through late-2025/2026. 

Do admin, cleaning or committee roles need checks?
Often yes, but this depends on the sector and the state. Roles that involve access to areas used by children, or that include decision-making affecting children, will generally require checks. Organisations should refer to their state or territory’s specific regulations and assess each role based on its level of exposure rather than job title alone.

We’re an aged care provider, what changes now?
From 1 Nov 2025, continue to ensure police certificates or NDIS Worker Screening for workers/responsible persons, with new definitions and record-keeping under the new Aged Care Act. Oho supports aged care providers across Australia to ensure workforce suitability, streamline screening activities, and meet compliance obligations, helping them stay ahead of these changes. You can read more here. 

The bottom line

2025 will hopefully end with turning child protection from policy to proof. With immediate suspensions, national data-sharing and reportable-conduct schemes rolling out, regulators will expect continuous assurance, not a folder of one-off checks. Oho gives you live verification, alerts and audit-ready records so you can show, not tell, that every worker is safe to work.

Book a discovery session with Oho to receive a tailored action plan for your organisation.