October, 2022
REGULATED ACTIVITY WITH CHILDREN AND ADULT GROUPS
Following recent contact with Department of Health, it has been clarified, where employees or volunteers teach, train, supervise, and/or coach children on frequent basis they are in a position of Regulated Activity and should apply for an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate with a check of the children’s barred list. This activity DOES NOT have to take place with the SAME CHILD OR GROUP OF CHILDREN on a frequent basis.
Where employees or volunteers teach, train, supervise and/or coach vulnerable adult groups on a frequent basis the role would be considered to meet the previous definition of Regulated Activity, meaning there is eligibility for an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate with NO barred list checks. This activity DOES NOT have to take place with the SAME VULNERABLE ADULT OR GROUP OF ADULTS on a frequent basis.
Under the previous definition of Regulated Activity, where an employee or volunteer is required, as part of their job to provide advice, guidance and support to vulnerable adults to enable them to live independently on a frequent basis they are eligible for an Enhanced only disclosure check. Again this activity DOES NOT have to take place with the SAME VULNERABLE ADULT OR GROUP OF ADULTS on a frequent basis.
SPEAR PHISHING
Spear Phishing is an increasing fraudulent practice of sending malicious emails, these emails appear to be from a trusted source to request targeted individuals to reveal confidential information.
The practice of Spear Phishing can be used by fraudsters to corrupt accounts, which will allow them to have access to confidential information such as bank accounts, etc or it may direct the recipient to a bogus website.
Genuine correspondence from AccessNI will always be sent from an email address which ends with .gov.uk
SPECIFIED LIST
The Specified List has been updated on the NIDirect website as detailed at link below:-
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/publications/accessni-list-specified-offences
to include the offence – DOMESTIC ABUSE AND CIVIL PROCEEDING ACT (NI) 2021 S.1 – Domestic Abuse.
August 2021
AccessNI has recently updated the Identity Checking guidance documentation available on the NI Direct website. These new arrangements come into effect immediately.
The purpose of these changes is to ensure that the details on the application forms match the documents provided by the applicant. It is one of the key safeguards to enable AccessNI to reconcile individual applicants to criminal record information or to identify if the Police may have information about that individual, or in the case of those working most closely with vulnerable groups, whether they are barred for such work.
The requirement to check than an individual has the right to work in the UK is still in place. Where individuals have no right to work in the UK, it is not only a breach of law but, could lead to vulnerable groups in the community being put at risk.
In light of Brexit, AccessNI has updated the identity checking guidance and list of acceptable documents which are now available to use. Details of these changes can be found by following the link below:
The specific key changes are as follows:
- The removal of EEA from the list of acceptable documents
- A link to the Right to Work has been provided in the list of acceptable documents
- An update to review identification documents using live video link as detailed in the guidance document
- The removal of the Annex providing a list of EEA countries
- Added additional details on the Primary Documents for applicants who are not UK or Irish Nationals
July 2020
ACCESSNI ADVICE – TEACHING, TRAINING, INSTRUCTING CHILDREN ON-LINE
Working practices arising from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic have been far reaching, and AccessNI have had to introduce many changes in double quick time in order to ensure continuity of many services.
One such change is the use of on-line streaming to deliver teaching, training, instruction, etc to children.
Please note: that this type of on-line activity with children is regarded as Regulated Activity if it is carried out frequently (once per week or 4+ times in a 30 day period) and, as such, an Enhanced disclosure with a check of the children’s barred list should be sought.