How CC Volunteer assesses volunteer and host suitability before and during placements.
This Screening and Suitability Notice explains how CC Volunteer, part of CAQA Groups and Career Calling International Pty Ltd (ABN 53 162 651 238), assesses the suitability of volunteers and host organisations for the placements and programs described on this website. Good matching protects everyone: the volunteer, the host organisation and the community members a role serves. Every placement arranged through CC Volunteer depends on suitability, host availability, safety checks and the requirements of the role.
Screening is not about excluding people from volunteering - it is about placing each person in a role where they can contribute safely and successfully. Some roles, particularly those involving children, vulnerable adults or regulated environments, carry legal screening requirements. Others simply need a conversation about interests, availability and expectations so the match works for both sides.
Depending on the role, screening may include a conversation with our team about your interests, goals, availability and any support needs; confirmation of your identity and contact details; referee checks where the role or host requires them; a National Police Check where the role requires one; a Working with Children Check or equivalent state or territory clearance where the role involves children or young people; and any host-specific requirements such as immunisations, licences or induction modules. We will always tell you before a check is undertaken which checks a role requires, who conducts them and how the result will be used. You may decline a check, though this may mean a particular role is not available to you.
Suitability runs both ways. Before referring volunteers we take reasonable steps to confirm that a host organisation offers genuine volunteer roles, provides induction and supervision, holds appropriate insurance and agrees to our Host Organisation Terms and Safety and Conduct Policy. We follow up on feedback and incident reports and may pause or end referrals to a host where concerns are not resolved.
Screening reduces risk; it does not eliminate it. A completed check reflects the information available at the time it was conducted and does not guarantee future behaviour, the quality of any placement, or any study, employment or visa outcome. Host organisations remain responsible for verifying any check that the law or their own policies require for a specific role, and for supervising volunteers appropriately regardless of screening results.
Screening and suitability information is personal information, and some of it is sensitive. It is collected only where reasonably necessary for arranging a placement, handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy, stored securely, and shared with a prospective host organisation only to the extent needed to confirm you meet the role's requirements. Check outcomes are used for placement decisions and are not published. You may ask us at any time what screening information we hold about you and request correction of anything inaccurate.
Suitability is reviewed over the life of a placement, not just at the start. Volunteers and hosts should tell us about anything that materially changes suitability - for example, a change in role duties, a lapsed clearance or a new conflict of interest. Where ongoing suitability cannot be confirmed we may adjust, pause or end a placement, and where appropriate we will help the volunteer find an alternative role.
If a required check cannot be completed, returns a result that prevents a specific role, or lapses during a placement, this does not necessarily end your involvement with CC Volunteer. Wherever possible we will look for another role without that requirement. Decisions are made case by case, respectfully and confidentially.
No payments are taken through this website, and CC Volunteer does not charge volunteers a fee for our matching service. Where a government-issued check involves a fee set by the issuing authority, we will discuss this with you before anything is lodged; many volunteer checks are free or reduced-cost for volunteers in Australia.
This notice is general information rather than legal advice, and screening requirements vary between states, territories and sectors. If you have questions about what a role requires, or a concern about how screening was handled, contact us or use our Complaints and Feedback process.
You can contact CC Volunteer by email at info@caqa.com.au, by phone on 1800 266 160, or through our contact page. Postal correspondence can be sent to Career Calling International Pty Ltd, 2/10 Lawn Court, Craigieburn, VIC 3064, Australia.
