Vetting in Northern IrelandStaff working with

Children and Vulnerable Adults

Andy Thomson MACatholic Church Northern Dioceses

Legislation

• Rehabilitation of Offenders Order 1978

• Rehabilitation of Offenders Exemptions Order 1979

• Part V Police Act 1997

• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and Order 2007

• Criminal Records Disclosure Regs. 2008

• DPA and ECHR

Criteria for Vetting

• Exempt Question and Proscribed Purpose

• Regulated Activity;

Teaching, Training, Instruction, Care, Supervision, Advice or Guidance to Children or Vulnerable Adults

and assistance to Vulnerable Adults

• Children <18 years

• V.A. as defined by SVG

Process

Regulated Activity ?

Application form and ID verified.

Checked and countersigned by NVO.

Forwarded to AccessNI who check,

CRO, PNC, Barred Lists, Police Intel, Garda

Process 2

Certificate Issued

To Applicant and Northern Vetting Office

Risk Assessment and Decision

Freedom to Appoint Letter issued

Role of Authorised Signatory

• Consider Information Disclosed

• Check with applicant if necessary

• Assessment of Risk

• Risk v Role v Responsibility

• Consider risk management and sharing

• Protection has primacy over rehabilitation

Assessment of information

• Understanding Offences

• Violence , Sexual Motives, Dishonesty

• Court Disposal and Sentencing

• Value of ‘Soft Intelligence’ on Certificate

• Spent and Unspent Convictions

• Cautions

• Barred or Disqualified

Process of Appeal

• Any appeal against information goes to AccessNI

• Appeal against decision, to NVO• Advise applicant of process• Church Authority convenes Panel• Applicant makes representations to Panel• Panel makes decision for consideration of

Church Authority.• Was original decision Irrational or Unreasonable