Australian Police Check

What is it?

A nationally coordinated criminal history check

What do I need?

A check completed by a police agency or accredited body

How long will it take?

Up to six weeks

All MDHS students are required to have a valid Australian nationally coordinated criminal history check (commonly known as a police check) if placements will be undertaken in a public, private or community health setting.

Students must have an appropriate police check issued no more than six months prior to course commencement. Although police checks have no set expiry date (as they are point-in-time checks), the MDHS Student Hub will set the review date at three years from date of issue when clearing the check to align with the Standardised Student Induction Protocol.

Please note that some placement settings will require students to undergo yearly police checks. Your school and/or placement provider will advise if this is the case.

Requirements

There are several options you can choose from to have a nationally coordinated criminal history check done.

The University of Melbourne has partnered with National Crime Check Pty Ltd to provide an easy to use, secure and fully online application system for Australian police checks. We recommend that you use the University system as it’s a free service to all enrolled students within the faculty.

Police check applications and results are managed through the faculty’s placement administration tool, Sonia, in the You may also wish to apply for an Australian Police check through another agency. These agencies will have their own application processes and inherent costs.

The process will prompt you to do the following:

  • Fill in your basic details
  • Check Type: Work Experience/Work Placement
  • Position/Job Tittle: Please provide your enrolled course

National Crime Check (NCC) will issue you with a clearance certificate via email and you should keep a copy for your records. Your police record is only available from NCC for three months after the result is generated.

You should avoid the following:

  • Australia Post – we will not clear police checks run through Australia Post as they do not encompass healthcare vulnerable requirements. Police checks must include a stated purpose of supervised or unsupervised access to vulnerable persons.
  • Your local police station or through the Australian Federal Police – you will need to specifically request that the purpose of the check encompasses supervised or unsupervised contact with the vulnerable. We recommend avoiding these to minimise any confusion that may occur.

Evidence

If you apply for an Australian Police Check through Sonia, you do not need to take any further action. The MDHS Student Hub retrieves data from the National Crime Check database and will clear your Sonia check on a weekly basis at minimum. You should ensure that you save a copy of your clearance certificate for your records and include processing in the estimated timeframe for your check to be cleared.

If you have applied for a police check externally, please upload a copy of your certificate or report showing disclosable or no disclosable outcomes.

Do not upload any password protected, QR coded or application acknowledgement documents. MDHS Student Hub must cite the actual report.

More details

  • It may be possible for International Students to apply for Australian Police Clearance through Sonia if they have the appropriate identifying documentations. Otherwise, international students must wait until they arrive in the country to organise this check.

  • We can only accept your Australian Police Check if it was completed within six months prior to your course commencement.

  • Make sure you have uploaded evidence of your alternative name in Sonia.

  • Your criminal history information disclosed on your police check will be reviewed by your by placement staff in the first instance. This will likely require a conversation with you assigned placement provided as well. They will assess your suitability for placement according to their own risk framework and policies.

    The University will make every effort to source suitable placements for you, and a staff member from your department will speak with you directly about what impact there might be on your studies (if any).

  • If you do not agree with the results of your police check, you must:

    • Review the police check result
    • Notify National Crime Check of the incorrect information and ask them to raise a dispute on your behalf.
    • Immediately inform the University by contacting the MDHS Student Hub.

    While the dispute is investigated, you must not use the original police check for any reason. You should notify the University when the investigation has concluded and the outcome of the dispute.

  • Whether you obtain your police check through the University or externally, it must specify that the purpose includes supervised or unsupervised access to vulnerable individuals. Police checks that do not include this information will not be accepted.

  • Students who make a police check application through the University automatically receive a copy of their police check via email.

    Note that copies of past police checks are only available for three months after the result is generated.

    We recommend you download and store a copy of your police check as soon as it is received.

    Restriction on use of police checks

    Police check applications made through the University are conducted for the purpose of your study only. As the Reason for Check (stated on the police check certificate) affects what police information is released, it is against the law to use the police check for any other purpose.

Ready to submit your documents? Go to Sonia.

Still have questions? Contact the MDHS Student Hub.