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  • AccessNI Corporate Information

    Topics:
    • Policing and community safety, 
    • Criminal history disclosure

    This page holds documents about the criminal history disclosure process, information for organisations registering with AccessNI, specific guidance for police chief officers when considering whether to disclose information on an AccessNI check and information about how AccessNI uses the personal information provided by applicants.

    Short guide to criminal records disclosure regime

    This document provides useful information about what is held on a criminal record and how it may be disclosed to keep children and vulnerable adults safe. There is also information about the different types of AccessNI checks and how to apply for them. Finally, there is information about the rehabilitation of offenders’ legislation in Northern Ireland and how this and the AccessNI filtering scheme can impact on the information disclosed.

    • Short guide to criminal records disclosure regime

    AccessNI countersignatory pack

    In order to countersign an application for a Standard or Enhanced check, an organisation must register with AcecssNI as a Registered Body. The Registered Body is normally an employer, a voluntary organisation or a body that will conduct checks of behalf of employers, known as an umbrella body. To become registered the organisation must undertake to submit 20 or more checks each year.

    A Basic disclosure application can be processed by an individual or an organisation. An organisation can become registered with AccessNI as a Responsible Body if they undertake to submit 20 or more Basic checks each year.

    The countersignatory information pack provides organisations with information about registration and how to process applications.

    • Countersignatory information pack

    NIDirect account (NIDA) for AccessNI applications

    When making an application to AccessNI for registration, to become a countersignatory or for a disclosure certificate the individual will need to create their own nidirect account (NIDA) to complete the application process.

    • This guidance document provides assistance to applicants to create the NIDA account.

    Understanding Criminal History Information on Disclosure Certificates

    Criminality information presented on an AccessNI certificate can be complex, especially given the range of data sources and the nature of information that could potentially be disclosed. AccessNI has produced the following guidance to help those viewing certificates to better understand the content on a certificate, and to risk assess this in order to help make safer and fairer recruitment decisions.

    • Understanding Criminal History Information on Disclosure Certificates
    • Criminal History Assessment Tool

    AccessNI checks: Working with adults or children in the charity and voluntary sector

    Charities and other groups sometimes find it difficult to understand whether volunteers or employees require, or are eligible, for an AccessNI check. The purpose of the guides is to help those in the voluntary/community/charity sector to determine what type of check they can and should get, and in what circumstances they should do so.

    • AccessNI checks: Working with adults or children in the charity and voluntary sector

    Working overseas with child or adults at risk

    Criminal record checks may be available, as part of the recruitment process to employers and voluntary organisations who are sending people to work/volunteer overseas with children and/or adults in other countries. This most often happens in overseas aid work or charitable work. AccessNI in conjunction with the Disclosure and Barring Service, Disclosure Scotland and ACRO, has produced a decision tree to help organisations find out if they are eligible for criminal record checks in these circumstances and which organisation they should go to for these checks.

    • Decision tree for overseas work

    Statutory guidance for disclosing police information on certificates

    Police forces across the UK, including PSNI can provide information for disclosure in Enhanced AccessNI certificates, where this information is reasonably believed to be relevant to the position the person wants to take up and where it ought to be disclosed. In deciding whether to disclose information, chief officers of police forces must give regard to statutory guidance published by the Department in 2015.

    • Statutory guidance for chief officers of police

    Independent Monitor

    The Independent Monitor (IM) can at the request of an applicant, review police information (whether from PSNI or any other UK police force) disclosed on an enhanced AccessNI certificate. The IM’s statutory functions extended to Northern Ireland in 2015 and his annual reports can be found at the link below.

    • IM Annual reports
    • Further information about disputing police information

    AccessNI Retention and Disposal Policy

    AccessNI Retention and Disposal Policy

    AccessNI Complaints Policy

    • AccessNI Complaints Policy

    Privacy Notice

    • AccessNI Privacy Notice

    AccessNI Accessibility Statement

    AccessNI Accessibility Statement

    Related content

    • About AccessNI
    • AccessNI Circulars and Newsletters
    • AccessNI Frequently Asked Questions
    • AccessNI legislation
    • AccessNI Performance reports
    • AccessNI Stakeholder Forum
    • AccessNI Training
    • Criminal records filtering review scheme
    • Regulated Activity and Enhanced checks
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