Information on Garda Vetting Service provided by Fingal Volunteer Centre
 
The aim of this document is to distribute information regarding Garda vetting of volunteers and minimise confusion surrounding the service provided by An Garda Síochána.
 
What is Garda Vetting?
 
Garda Vetting is the process by which a Garda Vetting Application Form is submitted to An Garda Síochána Vetting Office asking them to check if a person has any convictions and/or prosecutions, successful or not, pending or completed, recorded against their name.
 
Do volunteers need to be vetted?
At present, there is no legal requirement to vet volunteers, although this will be introduced at some point in the future. Many organisations choose to make it a policy to vet volunteers who work with children and vulnerable adults and / or are responsible for finances. However, most organisations recognise that not all volunteers may need to be vetted. For example, volunteers working in administration, doing practical work, providing professional services or a range of other volunteer opportunities may not need to be vetted as they are not interacting with the clients or directly involved in finance and will never have an opportunity to do so.
 
It is up to the organisation to decide whether or not a volunteer position requires vetting. This should be assessed while the organisation is in the process of developing the job description for each individual volunteer position. Whether the volunteer is being vetted or not it is important to conduct reference checks as these provide vital character reference information that is not available in a Garda Vetting check. (Fingal Volunteer Centre will supply you with in-depth information and training on the process). It is important to remember that Garda Vetting is but one stage of the screening of volunteers. If you require further information regarding screening of volunteers and appropriate methods of recruitment and selection, please contact us stuart@volunteerfingal.ie
 
 
Garda Vetting and Volunteer Centres
 
Volunteer Centres Ireland and its member volunteer centres, as part of our commitment to supporting and promoting volunteering have introduced a Garda Vetting service for voluntary and community groups within their local areas. All Volunteer Centres now act as an Authorised Signatory for Garda Vetting purposes for voluntary and community organisations that do not otherwise have access to an authorised signatory. VCI and member Volunteer Centres have developed a number of documents to ensure best practice in and assist organisations with Garda Vetting and an agreement on the service with the Garda Vetting Unit and Data Protection.
 
What is an Authorised Signatory?
 
An Authorised Signatory is a person who has completed the training supplied by the Garda Central Vetting Unit and is authorised to act as the liaison between the organisation requesting vetting and the Garda Central Unit.
 
Will An Garda Síochána vet volunteers?
 
The Garda Central Vetting Unit already provides a volunteer vetting service for most large community and voluntary organisations throughout the country via an ‘authorised signatory’ within that organisation. This means that a member of staff within that organisation has been trained to be the link between the Garda Vetting Unit and the organisation. However, they do not currently have the resources to provide this service to smaller organisations. In response to this, the members of Volunteer Centres Ireland have worked with the Garda Vetting Unit to train a designated staff member in each volunteer centre in each county to act as an Authorised Signatory between local voluntary and community organisations and the Garda Vetting unit.
 
What does this mean for your organisation?
If your organisation does not have access to an Authorised Signatory and you require Garda Vetting, your local volunteer centre can process the vetting paperwork for your volunteers. This paperwork is then forwarded to the Garda Central Vetting Unit.
 
How does it work?
 
For details on the process in your area, please contact your local volunteer centre. In general, to avail of this service:
• Your organisation will be required to register with your local volunteer centre.
• Your organisation will be required to meet with/attend training about the Garda Vetting process with your local volunteer centre.
• Your organisation will be expected to have certain policies and procedures in place before commencing Garda Vetting, for example, confidentiality policy, data protection policy, Garda Vetting policy. Copies of generic polices can be obtained from your local volunteer centre.
• Your organisation will be required to sign an agreement with your local volunteer centre giving them the authority to act on your behalf as an Authorised Signatory for Garda Vetting purposes.
Garda Vetting – a quick guide to the process
 
 
1. The Volunteer Centre will act as the Authorised Signatory on behalf of your organisation.
 
2. Prior to commencing, your Volunteer Centre will give you copies of relevant information documents and forms and will meet with you to discuss your needs
 
3. Once your organisation has signed and returned the required forms, the Volunteer Centre will begin the process of Garda Vetting for you.
 
4. Your organisation will be required to:
• Give volunteers/potential volunteers a copy of the Garda Vetting form and explain how important it is to fill it in correctly.
• Ensure the volunteer returns all individual Garda Vetting forms to you.
• Check each form to ensure that it has been completed properly
• Post the form/s and a completed checklist to the Manager, The Volunteer Centre, (provide full address).
 
5. The Volunteer centre will then submit all forms to the Garda Vetting office. Once the forms have been processed by the Garda Vetting Unit and returned to the Volunteer Centre, the Volunteer Centre will notify your organisation of same in writing or by email.
 
6. Copies of any disclosures will be forwarded to you by post. These forms must be returned to the Volunteer Centre within 3 weeks of being forwarded to you. Failure to return these disclosures may result in a discontinuation of the service.

The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 provide a statutory basis for the vetting of persons carrying out relevant work with children or vulnerable adults. The Act, commenced on 29th April 2016, also introduced electronic vetting (eVetting).

As part of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Volunteer Centre’s commitment to support volunteering we provide a Garda Vetting service for not-for-profit groups in the DLR area. The service is available for organisations that wish to vet persons but who do not have access to a Liaison Person within their own organisation.

The National Vetting Bureau has compiled a comprehensive list of questions and answers for individuals and organisations and on the process itself.

Don’t Forget

  • To carry out a risk assessment of all the roles in your organisation to help you assess whether the person being vetted can build up a relationship of trust with a child or vulnerable adult.
  • The Act requires you to carry out a vet before you engage an employee or volunteer. (However you can engage them in non-relevant work).
  • Vetting subjects need to be vetted for each individual role that they take up with an organisation, where vetting is required.
  • Vetting disclosures must be made available to vetting subjects; therefore you must retain a copy of the disclosure for the length of time that the volunteer or employee is with you.
  • You must check, verify and keep proof of the vetting subjects’ identity on file.
  • As set out in the Act – all youth leaders, coaches, trainers, religious leaders who work with groups of children, whether alone or accompanied by another adult, must be vetted.
  • For the purposes of the Act, a child is someone under the age of 18.
    Retrospective vetting needs to be carried out by 31st December 2017.

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 (under 18’s) or vulnerable adults. A relevant organization shall not permit any person to undertake relevant work or activities on behalf of the organization unless the organization receives a vetting disclosure from the National Vetting Bureau in respect of that person.  A person who contravenes this section, shall be guilty of an offence

 

What is relevant work or activities

Any work or activities, which is carried out by a person, a necessary and regular part of which consists mainly of the person having access to, or contact with children or vulnerable persons.

A full list of relevant work or activities can be obtained in Part 1 and 2 of Schedule 1 in the Act.

What is the definition of a vulnerable person?

A person, other than a child, who:

a) is suffering from a disorder of the mind, whether as a result of mental illness or dementia,

b) has an intellectual disability,

c) Is suffering from a physical impairment, whether as a result of injury, illness or age or

d) has a physical disability.

Which is of such a nature or degree:

i. As to restrict the capacity of the person to guard himself or herself against harm by another person, or

 

ii. That results in the person requiring assistance with the activities of daily living including dressing, eating, walking, washing and bathing.

 

Information about our vetting service

If you would like to find out more or ask about signing up for our service please email vetting@volunteerdlr.ie or phone 01 441 4444. You will need to register with the Centre, attend a training session and sign a Service Level Agreement before we can vet for you. During your training you will receive all the necessary information and forms to guide you through the process. The administrative fee is €10 per form for non-profits and €15 for for-profit organisations. 

The cost of attending a training session is €20. If your organisation proceeds to sign up for the vetting service a €50 sign up-fee will apply (if your organisation signs up within three months of attending the workshop the €20 training fee will be deducted 

from the sign up fee i.e. signing up will only cost €30).

How long does it take vetting forms to be processed?

 Since the introduction of electronic vetting (eVetting) it takes approximately one to two weeks for the forms to be process by the Naitonal Vetting Bureau, once the vetting application has been completed by the applicant and submited to the Bureau.

When is the next training session?

DLRVC will run its next Garda Vetting Information Session on Tuesday the 11th of September from 5.30 -7pm in Meeting Room 3, in the LexIcon Library, Dun Laoghaire.  Attendance at this training costs 20e and all attendees must register in advance and forward payment to secure their place.  

To find out more information about the session click here

If you’d like to register for the session, please click here and complete the form.