Chapter 2.5.1
Working With Children
Updated 23 Sep 2026 · Grant
Most roles at the Club count as child-related work under Western Australia's Working with Children (Screening) Act 2004 — patrolling, Nippers, coaching, training, water safety and carnivals all bring you into contact with children. This page walks you through whether you need a Working with Children (WWC) Check, how to get one, and what to send the Club.
The short version
If you are 18 or over and about to start any duty that involves contact with children, you need a WWC Check — unless the parent exemption applies to you. Send your card or receipt to admin@triggisland.com and the Club records it.
Do you need one?
Work down these four questions. The flowchart below is the same set of questions in picture form.
Are you 18 or over? If not, stop here — under-18 volunteers are not eligible for a WWC Card. The Club records you as an “Under 18 volunteer” and there is nothing for you to do until you turn 18.
Do you already hold a WWC Card? If yes, send it to the Club. We sight it, validate it on the WWC website, and record the details. Nothing else is needed.
Are you the parent of a child who is involved in Club activities? If yes, the parent exemption may apply to you — see below.
Are you about to start duties that involve contact with children? If yes and no exemption applies, you need to apply. If no — you are not about to take on, and have not agreed to take on, child-related work — you do not need a card, and the Club records that.
Flowchart: Surf Life Saving WA. It covers volunteers only — for paid employment, speak with your employer.
Applying for a WWC Check
Get an application form from the Club or an Australia Post outlet.
Have a Club Officer sign it. The application has to name the organisation you are volunteering for, so it must be signed off by the Club before you lodge it — contact admin@triggisland.com.
Lodge it with your identification. The volunteer fee is currently $11; paid employees pay $85.
Send the Club your receipt. The receipt is what lets you start volunteering while your application is processed — email a copy to admin@triggisland.com.
Send the card when it arrives. The Club sights it, validates it on the WWC website and records the details.
Already hold a card?
Email a copy to admin@triggisland.com along with the details of any child you are associated with at the Club — for example, as a Nipper parent.
The parent exemption
If you are the parent of a child who is involved, or ordinarily involved, in Club activities, you may not need a WWC Check to volunteer alongside them. This is the parent volunteer exemption, explained in the WA Government factsheet CRW03.
Two things to know:
It does not cover overnight camps. If you are volunteering on a camp involving an overnight stay, you need a card.
It is recorded, not assumed. Tell the Club you are relying on it so it can be recorded as “Parent Exemption”, with the duties that were considered.
Keeping it current
A WWC Card has an expiry date. Renew before it lapses and send the Club the new details — an expired card is the same as no card for the duties it covers. If your circumstances change and you take on a new role, let the Club know so your record reflects what you actually do.
Negative Notices
Anyone with a current Negative Notice, Interim Negative Notice, or an adverse interstate WWC decision cannot do child-related work and cannot rely on the parent or child-volunteer exemptions. You must tell the Club immediately if this applies to you, or if you are charged with or convicted of a Class 1 or Class 2 offence. Under SLSWA's Member Screening Policy the Club must act on it straight away, and notify SLSWA.
What the Club does with it
The Club keeps a record for every member showing whether they hold a current WWC Check or do not need one, and why — the duties considered and any exemption relied on. Card details and exemptions are recorded in SurfGuard. This is a condition of affiliation under the SLSWA Member Screening Policy, and the Club is responsible for its own compliance with the Act.
Who to ask
Club records, forms and signing — admin@triggisland.com
SLSWA — mpio@slswa.com.au | (08) 9207 6666
WWC Screening Unit (WA) — checkquery@communities.wa.gov.au | 1800 883 979 | workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au