Victorian ombudsman calls for stronger working with children checks in wake of Alex Jones case

Victoria's working with children checks are among the weakest in the nation, an investigation by the state's ombudsman has found, and must be changed to protect children from predators. Key points: Former youth worker Alex Jones was able to obtain a working with children check despite being investigated for an alleged rape in NSW the Ombudsman found Because he was never charged in NSW, Victorian authorities were not told of the allegation Even if Victorian authorities knew of the allegation, under the state's laws it would not have been grounds to deny him clearance While most other states and territories have the discretion to block people from working with children on the basis of information such as child protection reports and intervention orders, Victoria's screening authority can only deny or revoke a person's clearance if they have been charged with a crime or been subject to disciplinary findings. "The fact that Alexander Jones was able to obtain and subsequently keep a Working with Children clearance highlights clear legislative shortcomings limiting the effectiveness of Victoria's Working with Children Check scheme," Ms Glass wrote. "Absurdly, it was dishonesty charges, rather than the multiple reports about his alleged sexual exploitation of children, that ultimately provided the statutory basis to reassess Alexander Jones's Working with Children clearance," Ms Glass said. Victorian government considering urgent changes to regulations A Victorian government spokesperson said it was reviewing the legislation governing working with children checks, in line with the ombudsman's recommendations.