The police check requirement is an additional safeguard we’ve put in place because the students in the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway can face particular vulnerabilities. Many are arriving in Australia on their own for the first time, without parents or family members with them. SWG volunteers may also be in very close proximity to students in their homes and assisting with sensitive tasks such as opening bank accounts or accessing medical services. Given this, there are added potential risks and we need to ensure appropriate protections are in place.
We understand this is a higher threshold than some organisations use, but given the nature of the activities being undertaken by the Student Welcome Groups we hope you understand the rationale behind this.
All our staff and volunteers have done the check (it is very fast when you follow the instructions shared, I got mine in about 20 mins). All the refugee students coming to Australia through the program have also gone through a police check process as part of their visa processing.