A campaign to make vetting checks a legal requirement for people taking part in regulated activity in Northern Ireland has received the backing of the All-Party Group (APG) for Sports and Physical Recreation.
The NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) is part of the multi-agency Safeguarding Children in Sport Strategic Group (SCSSG) who are calling for this change, alongside organisations and faith groups from across the voluntary sector.
The APG for Sports and Physical Recreation is set to write to the Minister for Health whose department is responsible for vetting legislation in Northern Ireland.
The proposed changes would see criminal records checks via AccessNI become a legally required part of the recruitment process for all roles which include regulated activity, such as coaching or those who regularly supervise children and young people.
The change would make the recruitment of staff and volunteers in Northern Ireland consistent with the Republic of Ireland, where vetting has been a legal requirement since 2016. As well as Scotland, who are set to introduce the legal requirement for Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme checks from April 2025.
Benefits to mandatory criminal records checks
Members of the SCSSG believe that this change would:
- strengthen existing safeguarding procedures for protecting children
- help create a safer environment for children, staff, volunteers, and parents
- assure parents that all possible measures are being taken to recruit suitable people to work with children
- deter individuals from targeting organisations to gain access to children
- create consistent recruitment processes for those sporting bodies operating across Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.
Paul Stephenson, CPSU senior consultant for Northern Ireland, said:
"It has been really encouraging to see such strong support for the proposed change from sports and the wider voluntary sector. Making vetting checks a legal requirement will build on the safeguards we already have in place to help create a safer environment for everyone involved.”