Chapter 7:
Criminal vetting procedures
Contents
0.1 Context
0.2 Guiding Principles National Vetting Bureau, Republic of Ireland
0.3 Exception
0.4 Process
0.5 Payment
0.6 Management of disclosure certificates
0.7 Record Management
0.8 Management of checks from other jurisdictions
1.0 Students for ministry and deaconess training for the diaconal ministry (Union Theological College)
2.0 Transferring ministers/licentiates (ministers from other jurisdictions/denominations)
3.0 References and associated policies
0.1 Context
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) is a faith-based body that is required to ensure appropriate and adequate checks for all persons working or volunteering with children and/or adults at risk of harm.
As part of the ethos of safeguarding all who come into contact with our mission and ministries, it is crucial that all volunteers and employees of the individual congregations and Presbyteries are checked, prior to commencing roles and regularly thereafter.
This policy applies to all volunteers, leaders, officers and employees in congregations and associated ministries in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
0.2 Guiding Principles
If you apply for a job or volunteer in a role having close and regular supervision of children or adults at risk of harm, as outlined in legislation, National Vetting Bureau (NVB) use one vetting system for all checks.
All individuals in a relevant role are identified by:
- Schedule 1 National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland identifies the following roles as applicable under this policy when it involves work with children or adults at risk:
- Ministers (including student ministers, ministers with or without a charge, active ministers and retired ministers if continuing to engage in a pastoral role)
- Auxiliary ministers
- Elders
- Deaconesses
- Leaders, helpers, volunteers
- Youth/family workers
- Accredited preachers
If volunteering in the Republic of Ireland, NVB re-vetting will take place every three years as a mandatory requirement.
All checks must be applied for through a Relevant Organisation (RO). The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is registered with the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) who act as an RO.
A check conducted by another Registered Body (NI) or RO does not apply to roles with the Presbyterian Church in Ireland; NVB checks are not transferrable.
Checks are not transferable between congregations for leaders, volunteers or Elders.
For example, if you are a Sunday School teacher in one congregation moving to another congregation and you wish to teach at Sunday School, the new Kirk Session must trigger a new check.
Checks are not transferable between Presbyteries for any Minister role or Deaconess role.
For example, if a Minister is moving to a new charge within the same Presbytery, a new criminal records check is not required. However, if a Minister moves to a new charge within a different Presbytery, the receiving Presbytery must conduct a fresh criminal records check.
Each Kirk Session is accountable for the Leaders and Volunteers operating in their congregational remit.
Anyone working with children or adults at risk should, from the age of 16 on, get a criminal records check.
No one may commence the role until the check process is completed and a Presbytery cannot install a minister until a satisfactory check process is completed.
0.3 Exceptions
- Anyone under the age of 16
- A short-term emergency situation; for example, a parent who has stepped in to supervise a Sunday School class to allow a teacher to take a child to hospital. These should be the exception and risk managed by the positions of responsibility
- A volunteer from another jurisdiction, in some circumstances only (see 0.8 below)
0.4 Process
- An individual who is seeking a relevant role will approach a Leader in Charge of an organisation within an individual congregation to advise that they can fill a role; OR an individual is elected as a member of a Kirk Session; OR a Minister/Deaconess/Auxiliary Minister receives a call
- An application for a criminal record check will be completed for a relevant role, giving references: Access NI and Garda Vetting Forms – Presbyterian Church Ireland (presbyterianireland.org)
- Kirk Sessions or Presbytery should ensure the form is fully completed and that all required documentation is attached before it is sent to the safeguarding admin team for processing. The process will expire after 30 days if not followed through completely
- Once approved by Kirk Session the application will be sent by the applicant to the safeguarding admin team for processing
- The safeguarding admin team will process the application and the applicant will receive a disclosure certificate (see 1.5)
- Incomplete forms will be returned to the applicant via email by the safeguarding admin team; incomplete forms cannot be processed and sent to NVB
- NVB applications for criminal record checks will expire in 30 days if the process is not completed; a new form will be required after this time
0.5 Payment
NVB checks cost €7.50 (March 2026) and the Council for Social Witness pays for this.
NVB additionally applies a penalty charge of a further €7.50 (March 2026) for every expired check. The Council for Social Witness pays for this.
0.6 Management of disclosure certificates
A disclosure certificate will be issued to the Registered Organisation, the PCI Safeguarding Office.
If any relevant record is visible this will be discussed within the PCI Safeguarding Office.
Thereafter, PCI Safeguarding Office will both advise the representative of the Kirk Session who has signed the form, and advise the individual to speak with the representative or Minister about the issue. This will be done in writing.
Kirk Session representatives should discuss the disclosure with the PCI Safeguarding Lead or Safeguarding Officer and ensure they have recorded their decision-making when considering any trace.
Kirk Session cannot overlook any information that would contravene public protection or put any child or young person at risk of harm.
Elders
Elders do not complete applications for the role; rather, they are selected through a congregational voting process. This includes a period after nomination for concerns to be raised in writing by members of the congregation, before they are confirmed in the role.
A criminal vetting check must take place during the period of nomination and the Presbytery cannot ordain an Elder until the check is completed.
The PCI central office will advise the Clerk of Presbytery or minister of any relevant criminal record information to allow the minister/Clerk of Session of the local congregation to make a decision. All decisions should be recorded.
Ministers and deaconesses
If information is disclosed on a criminal records check for any minister or Deaconess, the Clerk of Presbytery must inform the PCI Safeguarding Lead. The Clerk of Presbytery will also inform the Clerk/Deputy Clerk of General Assembly. All decisions should be recorded.
No church body can overlook any trace that would contravene public protection with any of these roles.
Please see separate guidance: Procedures for Managing Disclosures (Access NI and Garda checks) (Currently in preparation.)
0.7 Record management
National Vetting Bureau requires all criminal records checks to be held for the duration of the individual’s service with PCI, or as the check is renewed at three years and the information updated.
All information should be kept confidentially in a locked cabinet centrally in the congregation in which the individual operates if received in paper form. All online applications are held in a secure, restricted section of the congregation’s online system.
If information is disclosed on a criminal records check and the Presbytery, Kirk Session and PCI Safeguarding Lead/Safeguarding Officer establish that volunteering is not appropriate, information continues to be held for three years.
0.8 Management of checks from other jurisdictions
Information on convictions and crimes committed abroad by Irish citizens is returned to the Gardaí on an ongoing basis by Interpol and Europol.
Similarly, Interpol and Europol may inform the Gardaí of foreign nationals living in Ireland who have committed crimes in their own home country.
Anyone who is an Irish citizen should have an NVB check completed therefore, regardless of their location.
When managing applications for volunteering from overseas, a common-sense approach will be adopted (other screening methods).
Other screening methods
References and interview
Kirk Sessions and/or panels should make every effort to establish the suitability of candidates by careful use of references and interviews.
You must remain aware that what would be considered an offence in the Republic of Ireland may not be considered an offence in another country, and vice versa.
Any certificates of good conduct should be treated with caution, as there is little way to establish their validity.
Good practice guidance
- Always follow the usual recruitment processes as closely as possible
- Think about putting additional weight into interview questions
- Get checks completed where you can, as outlined above
- Seek references and, when possible, follow up verbally
- Verify identity
- Ask the volunteer to make a written statement, clearly signing, to say that there is nothing in their background that would disqualify them from volunteering with children or adults at risk or in need of protection
An ‘adult at risk of harm’ is as defined in National Standards for Adult Safeguarding 2019, HIQA: