Playcentre Aotearoa’s Safety Checking Procedure
Children’s Act 2014.
Licensing Criteria for Centre-Based Education and Care Services 2008 (as amended May 2016):
GMA7A: All children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014. Safety checks must be undertaken and the results obtained before the worker has access to children. The results of the safety checks must be recorded and the record kept as long as the person is employed at the service. Every
children’s worker must be safety checked every three years. Safety checks may be carried out by the employer or another person or organisation acting on their behalf.
Item | Procedure |
1.0 |
Safety Checking must be completed as per Playcentre Aotearoa’s Child Protection policy and in accordance with relevant legislation. Safety Checking procedures here outline ‘how to’ complete safety checks for students intending to enrol in our Playcentre Education Programme, Centre based paid roles and various volunteer or paid roles as required by Playcentre Aotearoa’s Child Protection policy. This overview aims to provide a bird’s eye view of the components of safety checking. |
2.0 | Safety Checking at Playcentre | Who/When/Where – for Students |
Who/When/Where – For Employees |
2.1 |
Applying the regulations for safety checking children’s workers to our Playcentre context, we have determined the following: Core “children’s workers” at Playcentre are
Non-core “children’s workers” at Playcentre are Regional employees who visit Playcentres regularly (at least once a week or 4 times a month) as part of their role, who will not have primary responsibility for tamariki. Exempt from safety checks are
We may request a safety check be conducted on anyone volunteering to attend the Centre regularly without bringing tamariki, and who have not been part of the Playcentre’s community within the last 6 months. We also note that any employees who may work in Centres less often than once a week or 4 times a month, and any contractors, or their employees, who may have unsupervised access to tamariki during normal opening hours of the Centre will be Police vetted (but not Safety Checked). |
2.2 |
Prior to the start date, all employees must:
NOTE: Police Vets are required as part of the safety checking process and results can take up to 6 weeks from submission. |
n/a |
Centre and Regional Support Lead or Whānau Programme Lead |
2.3 |
When seeking to employ a Centre-based employee – “Employment Procedures” must be followed.
b. All potential employees that will have regular contact with tamariki must be interviewed before they can be employed |
n/a |
Centre with Centre Advisor, Regional Support Lead or Whānau Programme Lead |
2.4 |
Students should be provided an enrolment pack including the documents required for safety checking at or before their first workshop |
Facilitator of first workshop or Centre Education Officer | n/a |
2.5 | Complete Safety Checking for Intending Students/Employees Form |
2.5.1 |
Individual completes first section of “Safety Checking form for intending Students/Employees” (within the bold border). |
Student – at the first or second workshop, or as soon as possible afterwards | Employee – at the interview |
2.5.2 |
Individual provides original documents and a photocopy of two forms of ID (at least one of which is photographic)
If documents are in different names, a change of name document will be required e.g. NZ Marriage or Civil Union Certificate, or name change certificate. (This may also be useful if their National Student Number (NSN) is in a previous name.) See Appendix A for full list of possible Identification documents. |
Student – at the first or second workshop, or as soon as possible afterwards | Employee – at the interview |
2.5.3 |
Playcentre Aotearoa manager or employee delegate verifies identification (ID) by;
Attaching these verified photocopies (of two forms of ID) to form. |
Employee of Playcentre Aotearoa – usually Facilitator, or Centre Advisor | Employee of Playcentre Aotearoa – usually Centre Advisor |
2.5.4 |
Playcentre Aotearoa manager or employee delegate:
Completes “Safety Checking Identity Confirmation” section of form. |
Employee of Playcentre Aotearoa – usually Facilitator, or Centre Advisor | Employee of Playcentre Aotearoa – usually Centre Advisor |
2.6 | Complete New Zealand Police Vetting Service Request and Consent Form |
2.6.1 | Individual completes sections 2 and 3 of “New Zealand Police Vetting Service Request and Consent Form” | Student | Potential Employee |
2.6.2 |
Playcentre Aotearoa manager or employee delegate:
Potential employees will be informed that this will only be processed if they are the preferred candidate and it will be destroyed or returned to them if they are unsuccessful. |
One of the following;
|
Centre Advisor, Regional Support Lead or Whānau Programme Lead at the interview |
2.7 |
Playcentre Aotearoa manager or employee delegate then:
Sends to Regional Office. |
Send a) through d) to Student Support Coordinator | Send b) through e) to Regional Support Lead or Whānau Programme Lead (if this section has not already been completed by the Regional Support Lead or Whānau Programme Lead) |
2.8 |
The authorised third-party agency will contact the referees of the preferred applicant and will include questions related to the Safety Checking requirements – such as whether the person poses a risk to children. They will record the responses to these questions, along with the more general referee questions and load them into the website where they can be accessed by the Human Resources team. |
Human Resources | Human Resources |
3.0 | REGIONAL OFFICE: Safety Checking Procedure | WHO |
3.1 |
Safety Checking Form, Police Vetting and copies of ID received. If an intending employee, then interview notes & referee notes are also received. If an intending student, enrolment form received a) Where these documents are received by the Student Support Coordinator, they will hold and process the Education Enrolment form, but pass all other documentation to Human Resources for processing. |
Regional Support Lead or Whānau Programme Lead Or Student Support Coordinator |
3.2 |
Safety Checking information is gathered, using the “Safety Check form for Intending Students and Employees” to track:
If additional concerns raised by Police Vet or other results, a further referee may be requested and contacted with additional questions. |
Human Resources And Student Support Coordinator, Regional Support Lead or Whānau Programme Lead |
3.3 |
Once all the information has been collated a Risk Assessment is undertaken. The Risk Assessment will consider:
|
Regional Support Lead, Whānau Programme Lead or Student Support Coordinator |
3.4 |
Where the assessment is that the person is low risk: Regional Support Lead, Whānau Programme Lead or Student Support Coordinator will:
3. For a student:
4. Destroy any police vet forms of unsuccessful job applicants. |
Regional Support Lead, Whānau Programme Lead or Student Support Coordinator |
3.5 |
Where concerns are raised The Regional Support Lead, Whānau Programme Lead or Student Support Coordinator will refer the case to the and HR Lead to decide on the next steps.
Any risk mitigation will be recorded on the Safety Check form, and the appropriate record-keeping steps in 3.4 will also be followed. |
Regional Support Lead, Whānau Programme Lead, Student Support Coordinator, Regional Manager, National Support Manager, HR Lead |
3.6 |
Rechecks The Human Resources database provides notice to Human Resources when rechecks are due for both students and employees to start the processes to;
|
Human Resources |
3.7 |
Records pertaining to Safety Checking will be retained for:
|
Human Resources or Student Support Coordinator |
Appendix A: Identification documents
- A specified organisation (in this case Playcentre Aotearoa) must establish that the claimed identity of the children’s worker exists by checking an original primary identification document. This is a closed list of documents and one of the below must be used:
Possible Primary Identity Documents |
Document/record | Issuing agency |
New Zealand Passport | Department of Internal Affairs |
Overseas passport (may include New Zealand immigration visa or permit issued by the Ministry of Business, Innovation or Employment (Immigration New Zealand)) | Overseas authority |
New Zealand emergency travel document | Department of Internal Affairs |
New Zealand refugee travel document | Department of Internal Affairs |
New Zealand certificate of identity (issued under the Passports Act 1992 to non-New Zealand citizens who cannot obtain a passport from their country of origin) | Department of Internal Affairs |
New Zealand certificate of identity (issued under Immigration Act 1987 to people who have refugee status) | Ministry of Business, Innovation or Employment (Immigration New Zealand) |
New Zealand Firearms license | New Zealand Police |
New Zealand full birth certificate issued on or after 1 January 1998 carrying a unique identification number | Department of Internal Affairs |
New Zealand citizenship certificate | Department of Internal Affairs |
B. A specified organisation (in this case Playcentre Aotearoa) must also establish that the claimed identity of the children’s worker is living and that they use the identity in the community by verifying an original secondary identity document. This is a closed list of documents and one of below must be used:
Possible Secondary Identity documents |
Document/record | Issuing agency |
New Zealand driver licence | NZ Transport Agency |
Kiwi Access Card (previously 18+ Card ) | Hospitality New Zealand Incorporated |
Community services card |
Ministry of Social Development |
SuperGold Card | Ministry of Social Development |
New Zealand student photo identification card | New Zealand educational institution |
New Zealand employee photo identification card | Employer |
New Zealand electoral roll record | Electoral Enrolment Centre of New Zealand Post Limited |
Inland Revenue number | Inland Revenue Department |
New Zealand issued utility bill, issued not more than six months earlier |
Steps to Freedom form | Department of Corrections |
C. A specified organisation (in this case Playcentre Aotearoa) must establish that the claimed identity of the person presenting (the children’s worker) is linked to the presenter. This can be done in two ways:
-
- Option (i) – By checking one of the two forms of identification used to satisfy requirements A or B above in person against the children’s worker. This requires that one of the two forms of identification presented must be photographic.
- Option (ii) – By using an identity referee as described
If relying on option (ii), use of an identity referee, the children’s worker must produce with their identity
documents:
- The name and contact details of an identity
AND EITHER:
- A photograph of the children’s worker authenticated by the identity
The identity referee needs to write on the back of the photograph “Certified true likeness of [full name of person]” (or words to that effect), and sign and date the certification.
OR
- A verification statement signed and dated by the identity referee verifying that the primary identity document produced by the children’s worker relates to that children’s worker.
In order to qualify as an identity referee the person must meet the following criteria:
- Have known the children’s worker for at least 12 months
- Is at least 16 years of age
- Is not related to the children’s worker and not part of the children’s worker extended family
- Is not a spouse or partner of the children’s worker
- Does not live at the same address as the children’s worker
The most updated information on identification documents can be found here:
https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/user-guide-to-pvs-vetting-request-consent- form.pdf