Coach Accreditation & WWCC Tracking — GoClubPro

Training Module 71 | Managing Credentials, Working With Children Checks, and Qualifications

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What This Guide Covers

Clubs have legal and governance obligations around the credentials of people who work with members — particularly children. Coaches, selectors, and team managers need Working With Children Checks (WWCC) in most Australian states, and many sports require minimum coaching accreditation levels. GoClubPro doesn't manage credentials automatically, but this guide shows how to use the platform's existing tools to track them, and what to do when credentials expire or are missing.

Primary audience: Club Admins, Club Presidents, Junior Coordinators Legal note: This guide provides general practical guidance. Specific legal requirements vary by state/territory and sport. Always check your association's requirements and your state's WWCC legislation.

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SECTION 1: WHAT NEEDS TO BE TRACKED

Credentials That Apply to Club Roles

State WWCC names (Australia):

• NSW: Working With Children Check
• VIC: Working With Children Check
• QLD: Blue Card
• SA: DCSI Clearance / Working With Children Check
• WA: Working With Children Check
• TAS: Registration to Work with Vulnerable People
• ACT: Working with Vulnerable People registration
• NT: Ochre Card

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SECTION 2: WHERE TO STORE CREDENTIAL DATA

GoClubPro Doesn't Have a Credential Module

GoClubPro currently doesn't have a dedicated credential management system. This is where your parallel tracking tools come in.

The recommended approach: External register + profile notes

External register (Google Sheets):

Keep this spreadsheet:

• Shared only with the Club Admin and President
• Separate from GoClubPro (contains sensitive credential numbers)
• Backed up (Google Drive, not just one person's computer)

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Using GoClubPro Profile Notes

For a quick reference visible to admins within the platform:

Admin Panel → Members → find coach → Edit Profile → Notes field (if available):

"WWCC verified 2026-02-01 — expires 2028-06-01. Level 2 coaching cert. First aid expires Nov 2025 — renewal due."

This gives admins a quick in-platform signal without storing sensitive credential numbers in the platform.

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SECTION 3: THE CREDENTIAL VERIFICATION PROCESS

How to Verify a WWCC

Never rely on someone telling you they have a valid check — verify it through the official state portal.

Verification steps (most states):

1. Ask the person for their WWCC card/number
2. Go to your state's WWCC verification portal:

• NSW: www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au
• VIC: www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au
• QLD: www.bluecard.qld.gov.au (Other states: search "[State] WWCC verification")

3. Enter the person's name and WWCC number
4. The portal confirms: Valid / Invalid / Barred
5. Record in your external register: verified by [Admin Name] on [Date]

Important: Verification confirms status today — a valid check can be revoked at any time. Build verification into your annual access audit.

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The Season-Start Credential Audit

At the start of each season:

1. Pull your external credential register
2. For every person with a Coach, Co-Admin, or Team Manager role in GoClubPro:

• Check their WWCC is current (not expired, not revoked)
• Check any coaching accreditation requirements per your sport/association
• Check first aid certificate (at least one per team is best practice)

3. For anyone with expired or missing credentials:

• Contact them immediately: "Before you can coach this season, we need your current WWCC number"
• Provide a 2-week window to supply credentials
• If not supplied: do not grant them coaching/admin access in GoClubPro for the season

In GoClubPro: If a coach hasn't supplied credentials, don't assign them the Coach role until credentials are verified. Keep them at Player role until cleared.

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Calendar Reminders for Expiries

The external credential register should include expiry dates. Set calendar reminders:

• 3 months before expiry: Email the credential holder: "Your [WWCC/First Aid] expires [Date]. Please renew and send us the new details."
• 1 month before expiry: Follow-up if not renewed
• At expiry: If still not renewed: suspend coaching access until renewed

Who manages this: The Club Admin or a dedicated "Credentials Coordinator" (can be a Committee Secretary or designated volunteer).

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SECTION 4: COACHING ACCREDITATION

Sport-Specific Coaching Requirements

Many sports have minimum coaching accreditation levels:

Check with your association — requirements vary by competition level and state.

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Tracking Accreditation in the Register

Add columns to your credential register:

For clubs where no accreditation is required: Still document which coaches have qualifications — it's a positive differentiator for member recruitment ("All our coaches are accredited").

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SECTION 5: WHAT TO DO WHEN CREDENTIALS ARE MISSING

Scenario: Coach Doesn't Have a WWCC

1. They cannot coach children (under-18) without a valid WWCC — this is a legal requirement, not a club preference
2. Contact them immediately: make this clear and non-judgmental ("We need this before we can have you coach — here's how to apply")
3. WWCC applications take time (2–8 weeks in some states) — start the process before the season begins, not after
4. Interim: they can assist with senior grades (18+) where WWCC may not be required
5. GoClubPro: keep them as Player role until WWCC is confirmed

Never allow an unverified person to coach children — the club's liability is significant and the reputational risk is severe.

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Scenario: Existing Coach's WWCC Expires Mid-Season

1. They cannot continue coaching until renewed
2. If they've applied but not yet received the renewed check: check whether your state allows coaching to continue while renewal is in progress (some states issue an interim clearance)
3. Inform the relevant team's parents that a credential check is being renewed — no detail needed, just that you take this seriously
4. Temporary option: another verified coach or Co-Admin covers until renewal is complete

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VISUAL: Credential Workflow

SEASON START
 │
 ▼
Pull credential register
 │
 ▼
For each Coach / Team Manager:
 WWCC current? ── NO ──► Contact immediately; withhold Coach role
 │ YES
 Coaching cert? ── NO ──► Check if required; advise if gap
 │ YES
 First Aid? ─── NO ──► Recommend renewal; identify first aider per team
 │ YES
 ▼
Grant Coach role in GoClubPro
 │
 ▼
Set calendar reminders for each expiry
 │
 ▼
ANNUAL AUDIT: re-verify all credentials

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TOOLTIPS & HINTS

• Verify, don't trust — always confirm WWCC through the official state portal; don't accept a card at face value
• External register is the source of truth — GoClubPro notes are supplementary; the full register with numbers and expiries lives externally
• WWCC is a legal requirement for child-facing roles — no exceptions; no "they've been here 20 years" overrides
• 3-month advance notice — most credential renewals take weeks; don't give 1-month notice for a 6-week renewal process
• Role withheld until verified — Coach role in GoClubPro is only granted after verification, not on trust

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FAQ

Q: A trusted volunteer has coached for 10 years and says they have a valid check. Do we still need to verify? A: Yes. Long tenure doesn't substitute for verification. The portal check takes 2 minutes — do it every season.

Q: We're a senior-only club (all members 18+). Do we still need WWCC? A: Generally, WWCC applies to roles working with under-18s. If your club is genuinely all-adult with no youth members, WWCC may not apply — but check your association's requirements, as some require it regardless of age composition.

Q: Who bears liability if an unverified coach causes harm? A: The club (as an organisation), potentially the Admin who granted access, and potentially the individual. This is not a risk worth taking — the cost of verification is minutes; the cost of not verifying can be catastrophic.

Q: Our association says coaches must have Level 1 accreditation. Three of our coaches don't. What do we do? A: Contact your association to understand the enforcement timeline. In the interim: encourage the coaches to complete the accreditation (most are online, low-cost, and take one day). Do not misrepresent their status to the association.

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COMMON MISTAKES

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SHORT ONBOARDING SCRIPT

"Coaching credentials — especially WWCC — are a legal requirement, not optional. Maintain an external register (Google Sheets) with each coach's WWCC number, expiry date, coaching accreditation, and first aid status. Verify every WWCC through the official state portal at season start — don't accept self-reporting. In GoClubPro, only grant the Coach role after credentials are verified. Set calendar reminders 3 months before each expiry. If a credential lapses mid-season, suspend coaching access until it's renewed. The club bears liability for unverified access — this is the one area where there are no shortcuts."

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MICRO-TRAINING QUICK TIPS

• External credential register: name, WWCC number + expiry, first aid expiry, coaching cert
• Season-start audit: verify every WWCC via official state portal
• Coach role in GoClubPro: only granted after credential verification
• Calendar reminders: 3 months before each expiry
• Expired mid-season: suspend coaching access; cover with verified coach
• Never rely on self-reporting — portal verification takes 2 minutes

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Training Module 71 | See also: 06 Admin Panel · 43 Volunteer & Committee · 50 Junior Development · 58 Club Policy & Governance · 33 Data Privacy