Storing the Data or Verifying the Data: What Are You Doing? - Oho

Storing the Data or Verifying the Data: What Are You Doing?

October 2024
3 mins

 

 

In the Disability, Childcare and Community sectors, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the vulnerable people in your care is paramount.

Central to this mission is credential compliance and ensuring the suitability of your workforce.

So, we must ask ourselves: are we simply keeping records in a filing cabinet, excel spreadsheet or HRIS system, or are we genuinely verifying the data to meet your regulatory compliance obligations?

And as a follow up question: how often are we verifying these checks? How soon would you know if someone had a strike on their record tomorrow?

 

The Risks of Passive Management

Many organisations may feel that simply storing credential data—whether in physical files, Excel sheets, or even Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)—is sufficient.

However, passive management of credential data poses significant risks to organisations in the disability, childcare, and community sectors.

When credential data is stored regular updates or verification, several problems can arise:

  • Outdated Information: Credential requirements can change frequently due to evolving regulations or changes in an employee’s status. If you’re not regularly verifying this data, you run the risk of employing individuals with expired qualifications or licenses, which can lead to compliance violations and potential legal repercussions.
  • Decreased staff Accountability: When there are no systems in place to actively verify credentials, staff may feel less accountable for maintaining their qualifications. This can lead to a culture of complacency where individuals neglect their responsibilities regarding ongoing training or certification renewals.
  • Deploying unsuitable people: If data is not monitored and verified, providers can deploy unsuitable workers with revoked, suspended, expired or invalid credentials. This poses huge risk to your organisation, the vulnerable people you protect, your reputation and the organisations directors.

 

Active Verification: The Key to Compliance

Active verification means routinely checking and confirming that the credentials of your workforce are current and valid. This includes not only the initial verification of qualifications but ongoing monitoring of licenses, certifications, and background checks. For organisations in the disability, community, and childcare sectors, this is not just a best practice—it’s a legal obligation.

With active verification, providers meet compliance obligations mandated by government bodies, improve staff morale and better support their workforce, are prepared for compliance audits, and enhance overall safety practices.

 

What are you doing?

As leaders and crucial team members for your organisations, its crucial to evaluate your current practices. Are you just housing the data or are you actively engaging in the verification process. Here are some questions to consider or take to your team:

  •  Are you regularly reviewing your credentialing process?
    Regular audits and checks should be a part of your operational routine. Consider scheduling quarterly reviews of all credential data.
  • Do you have a system in place for tracking credential expirations?
    Relying on spreadsheets or filing cabinets can lead to missed renewals. Automation can help ensure you’re always up to date.
  • Are you prepared for compliance audits?
    If external organizations were to evaluate your credential compliance today, would you be able to present a fully verified and up-to-date record?
  • How do you get notified of a status change to a record? 

 

The difference between simply housing credential data and actively verifying it is critical for compliance and safety in the disability, community, and childcare sectors.

It’s time to move beyond passive record-keeping.

By regularly verifying credentials, you not only meet your legal obligations but also contribute to a safer environment for those you serve. Embrace technology, implement best practices, and prioritize active verification to ensure the integrity of your workforce.

 

Oho can do all that for you.

Oho is a credential verification and management tool designed to support care and community organisations with credential compliance. Oho verifies Working with Children Checks, NDIS Worker Screening Checks, Teachers Licenses, VEVO Visa Entitlements, AHPRA registrations and more. Oho screens EVERY 7 DAYs, to help you keep your workforce compliant and safe to work.

 

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