Information on the new Garda vetting act, (National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 – 2016), was put up on this website last week by the LeinsterCA. The purpose of this article is to fill out some of the information and to answer questions which I am regularly asked.
Who needs to be vetted?
“Any person who is carrying out work or activity, a necessary and regular part of which consists mainly of the person having access to, or contact with, children or vulnerable adults”.
What this means is that anyone in your club who has regular and ongoing contact with children and therefore the opportunity to build up a relationship of trust with a child must be vetted. Top of this group are the coaches and assistant coaches, but also your club children’s officer, designated person, youth team managers and the captains of adult teams on which underage children regularly play. “Ongoing and regular” is not defined in the Act but the Cricket Ireland Child Safeguarding Manual has defined it as once a week or more, four times a month or more and overnight.
Who does not need to be vetted?
“The Act shall not apply to persons who assist on an occasional basis and for no commercial consideration. This would include persons who assist on an occasional basis at a school, sports or community event or activity other than where such assistance includes the coaching, mentoring, counselling, teaching or training of children or vulnerable persons”.
Parents/guardians who help to transport children to matches on a random basis or who help with teas and drinks when asked by a coach or committee member do not need to be vetted. If a particular parent is going to be involved every week at the request of the club as a general youth volunteer, then he/she should be vetted. In general, however, it is better practice that the parents arrange lifts between themselves which puts it outside the responsibility of the club.
Overseas players who come to Ireland to play and coach during the season must arrive with their own country’s police clearance AND must then apply for Irish GV clearance shortly after their arrival.
Under 18s who are assisting in a coaching capacity in a club, again bearing in mind it should be in a regular and ongoing capacity, must also be vetted. Under 18s must include a completed parental consent form with their application.
Retrospective Vetting - The Act has allowed a cut-off date of 31/12/2017 for the retrospective vetting of people who have been members of an organisation/club for some time but have never been previously vetted. I would not like clubs to take comfort from this and put off the process, but it does mean that a long standing coach/volunteer in a club does not have to stop his/her work until the GV disclosure comes through.
CHANGES TO THE VETTING PROCESS
A pilot e-vetting scheme is in place in some of the very large sporting organisations but in the immediate future C.I. will continue to operate a paper based system. There is a completely new form which is the only one that can be used and is available on the www.cricketireland.ie/get-involved/coaching/garda-vetting. Postal codes are required for every address included in the application, available on www.eircode.ie. The new I.D. validation form must be signed by one of the authorised people listed, on presentation of the required identification documents.
SELF DISCLOSED CRIMINAL RECORD
Section 3 of the form requires the applicant to disclose any criminal record. Many people do not realise that this includes traffic and driving offences which have been heard in the District Court, such as failing to display an up to date NCT, driving in a bus lane etc. as well as more serious cases of dangerous driving, assault etc. It also includes any pending cases. In the new Act there is a category of “spent convictions” which are minor convictions over 7 years old. Spent convictions will not show up in a vetting disclosure.
When a vetting disclosure which includes a criminal record is returned to Cricket Ireland, it will be assessed confidentially to see whether the applicant can be given clearance to pursue the activity for which GV has been sought. Minor traffic offences and very old offences with no re-offence (excluding needless to say any case involving a child) are not normally a reason to preclude a person from working with children.
The completed application form, ID validation form, copies of the ID documents used and parental consent form, if applicable, should all be sent marked “Private and confidential” to the Garda Vetting Dept, Cricket Ireland, Unit 22 Grattan Business Park, Clonshaugh, Dublin 17.
Finally, I would emphasise the point, which is covered in the Sport Ireland Code of Ethics, that Garda vetting, now mandatory, is just one criterion when considering a person’s suitability to work with children and many other qualities should be assessed.