Some placement providers (particularly Queensland Health and aged care facilities) require students to obtain a National Police Certificate (NPC). If you have been a citizen or permanent resident of a country other than Australia after turning 16, you must also complete a Statutory Declaration prior to commencing your placement.
A National Police Certificate (NPC) provides a student with ‘clearance’, or in some cases, a notification of a student’s ‘disclosable history’. A police certificate discloses whether a person:
As part of the NPC application process, a police check is conducted based on a search of a person's name against the criminal history records held by police services Australia-wide.
In most instances NPCs are valid for 3 years. Please ensure you have at least 6 months validity on your certificate at the time of submission to InPlace.
IMPORTANT 1 : Some placement providers will require an NPC that is more recent (we will let you know if this is the case). It is your responsibility to ensure that you have obtained an NPC that meets your placement provider’s requirements.
IMPORTANT 2 : If you are convicted of any offence during the 3 year NPC expiry period, you MUST notify your Placement Coordinator immediately.
IMPORTANT 3 : After 1st June 2024, we will no longer be accepting Queensland Police NPC's as we are unable to verify them securely and protect your privacy.
If you have been a citizen or permanent resident of a country other than Australia after turning 16, you must also complete a Statutory Declaration prior to commencing placement stating that you have never, in Australia or another country, been convicted of murder or sexual assault, or convicted of, and sentenced to imprisonment for, any other form of assault. You must use this Statutory Declaration template (no other versions will be accepted). See further information below regarding the steps you need to follow.
Application time: can take up to 3 months
Cost: approximately $40 - $90
The quickest way to obtain a National Police Certificate (NPC) is by applying online through Australian Federal Police. NOTE: International students can apply online with the AFP whilst they are overseas so this is their best option. However you can also apply for a National Police Certificate through an organisation that has been accredited by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission OR another Australian State or Territory Police Service however you should be aware that there are often lengthy delays experienced when obtaining an NPC via these methods.
NPCs may have different formats, including printed certificates or electronic reports. Every NPC must record:
• the person’s full name and date of birth;
• the date of issue;
• a reference number or similar.
IMPORTANT 1 : If you are asked to select a purpose for your NPC application, you should select an option that includes ‘aged care staff/volunteer’ even if your placement isn’t taking place in an aged care facility as this will cover you for a range of different placement types. For example, if applying via Australian Federal Police you should select the purpose as ‘37 (Care, instruction or supervision of children/ Care of intellectually disabled persons / Aged Care staff/volunteers)’.
IMPORTANT 2 – Aged Care: Some aged care facilities will not accept digital NPCs. When applying for your NPC via Australian Federal Police, please select the box ‘yes’ for a hard copy certificate to be sent to your address in addition to your digital certificate during the application process. N.B. UQ does accept digital certificates for the purpose of verifying placement eligibility. For students with allocations to aged care providers, please take your hard copy certificates with you on your first day of placement.
IMPORTANT 3 : After 1st June 2024, we will no longer be accepting Queensland Police NPC's as we are unable to verify them securely and protect your privacy.
A fingerprint check is not required.
Upload your National Police Certificate to the appropriate attribute in InPlace by the due date. Our verification process includes checking that your NPC is authentic via the security features that are contained on your certificate.
If you have been a citizen or permanent resident of a country other than Australia after turning 16, you must also complete a Statutory Declaration prior to commencing your placement stating that you have never, in Australia or another country, been convicted of murder or sexual assault, or convicted of, and sentenced to imprisonment for, any other form of assault. You will also be required to state that you have never been convicted of any other offences in a country outside Australia. If this applies to you, you must use this Statutory Declaration template (no other versions will be accepted). If there is any reason why you are unable to sign this Statutory Declaration, you need to discuss this with your Placement Coordinator immediately. Refer to the Fitness to Practise Policy for further information about your obligations.
If you have never been a citizen or a permanent resident of a country other than Australia since turning 16, you don’t need to complete this step.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Upload your Statutory Declaration to the appropriate attribute in InPlace by the due date. Our verification process includes checking that your witness is a verified person as per the list on Page 2 of the form.
