POCVA FAQ's

What does POCVA stand for?

The Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults.

What is a POCVA check?

A Pocva check is basically a background check on a person’s criminal history.

Is it law that everyone working with children and young people should receive a POCVA check?

It is considered good practice and is also the policy of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

It is illegal to employ someone, either in a paid post or as a volunteer, who is on the disqualification list to work with children or vulnerable adults. The only way you can be sure a person is not on these lists is to POCVA check them.

Who will do this checking?

Access Northern Ireland facilitate POCVA checking for us. AccessNI was established by a joint programme between the Northern Ireland Office, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, the Department of Education and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

AccessNI enables organisations in Northern Ireland to make more informed recruitment decisions by providing criminal history information about anyone seeking paid or unpaid work in certain defined areas, such as working with children or vulnerable adults.

Please log on to their website for further information www.accessni.gov.uk.

What about Data Protection and Confidentiality?

Both the Taking Care Office and Access Northern Ireland comply with the Data Protection Act 1998. Information held about individuals is treated with the strictest of confidence and on a need to know basis only.

Who should be POCVA checked?

All leaders, volunteers, teachers and staff members who are working with children and young people on a regular basis need to receive a POCVA check if:

• - They have been appointed since April 2005
• - Are over 18 years old
• - Are working regularly with children (i.e. 4 or more times a year)
• Or if:
• - They are a leader in charge of an organization and have never been checked before either under POCVA or PECS (pre-employment consultancy Service) e.g. Girls’ Brigade Captain or Sunday School Superintendant.

Can all existing leaders be POCVA checked?

No, only leaders who have been appointed since 2005 should be checked.

Do I have to receive a POCVA check from the Presbyterian church when I am already checked though another organisation i.e. Education and Library Board, Sport Association?

Yes! Each appointment is treated separately. This is because one organization is not at liberty to disclose to another organization the details of a person’s criminal history.

What about leaders from the Girls Brigade, Scouts and other independent organizations?

• - PCI will check leaders for Girls Brigade and Boys Brigade.
• - Forms for Girl Guides and Scouts should be checked by their headquarter body and not PCI.

Please see Common Protocol for further information.

How long will a POCVA check take to process?

Checks are currently taking about two weeks from when they are sent to the Taking Care Office until a certificate is issued.

  

How often do I need to renew POCVA checks?

Only one POCVA check is needed for each person at this moment in time.

 

If someone who is already POCVA checked takes up a new position within the same congregation do they need to be re-checked?

No. POCVA is valid for any position within the same congregation. So if a Youth Club leader who has a POCVA check decides to help out in the crche he does not need a new POCVA check.

 

If a person has a POCVA check for their congregation and they move churches, do they need to apply again for a new POCVA check?

No, we check leaders for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. If a new leader comes to your congregation from another PCI congregation then you are advised to ask to see their certificate or contact the Taking Care Office to see if they have been checked or not. Also, it is recommended that Kirk Session still appoint all their leaders and a reference should be sought from their previous congregation.

 

What about Young Leaders, do they have to be POCVA checked?

A 'Young Leader' or helper is a person aged 15-18. Only persons aged 18 and over are POCVA checked by PCI. Therefore, young leaders can volunteer but they are not to be left alone with children. 

Is there a cost for a POCVA check?

There is no cost for volunteers; however there is a cost of £30 levied by Access Northern Ireland for those applying for a paid position e.g. a caretaker or full-time youth worker. Once a certificate has been issued an invoice will be sent to the Designated Person.

Surely if leaders have a POCVA check I can do without interviewing and references?

No! POCVA complements standard recruitment practices but cannot replace them.

 

What happens if a prospective leader refuses to fill in the Application Form for a POCVA check?

Their application cannot be processed and your congregation/organisation will not be able to use them.

 

Where can I get application forms from?

Application forms are available from the reception area of church House or from the Taking Care Office in Church House. In order to curb postage costs, please try to collect forms although we will post them out to those who would not find it convenient to collect them from Belfast.

Forms cannot be downloaded and we would ask congregations not to photocopy them. Please read the Guidance Notes and Step-by-Step guide when completing forms.

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