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  3. Tono Mātaitanga ā-Pirihimana (Police Vetting Application)

Tono Mātaitanga ā-Pirihimana

Police Vetting Application

Kupu whakataki

Introduction

Ko te tangata e hiahia ana ki te mahi tahi me mātau o Te Kōhanga Reo, Te Tari ā-Motu rānei, me whakaoti ngā mahi arowhai a ngā Pirīhimana. He wāhanga matua tēnei mō ā mātau aromatawai mōrearea me ngā tukanga whakahaere. 

Ko te whai i te whiunga taihara e kore e aukati i te tangata ki te whai wāhi mahi. Heoi anō, me whai ia tangata tētahi arowhai a ngā Pirīhimana i mua i te uru ki ngā mahi utu me te utu kore. 

I tua atu, me whakahaere e te Kōhanga Reo tētahi Tirotiro Haumaru Tamariki mō te hunga e whai ana ki te mahi tahi me ngā tamariki. Ko ngā kaimahi ka utua ki te mahi tahi me ngā tamariki, pēnei i te Kaiāwhina me te Kaiako ka kīia he Kaimahi Matua-Tamariki. 

Ehara i te mea me whakaatu ngā kaitono i ngā hītori katoa o ngā whakawākanga mēnā kai te hipokina e ngā Rekoata Kirimina (Clean Slate) Act 2004. Heoi anō, ko ngā arowhai papamuri o ngā kaimahi ka whakaatu i te katoa o ngā hītori taihara me ētahi atu kōrero e tika ana. 

Mēnā e hiahia āwhina ana, īmēra mai ki a mātau, ki [email protected] waea mai rānei ki 0800 KOHANGA (0800 564 2642) pēhia te kōwhiringa tahi. 

Tirohia ngā Patapatai Auau i raro iho nei mō ētahi atu kōrero mō ngā Tirotiro Haumaru Tamariki, kaimahi tamariki me ētahi atu kōrero. 

Anyone who wants to work with us at Te Kōhanga Reo or the National Trust must complete the Police vetting process. This is a key component of our risk assessment and management processes. 

Having a criminal conviction does not exclude a person from employment opportunities however, individuals must be Police vetted prior to engaging in paid and unpaid work.  

Additionally, Kōhanga Reo must undertake a Child Safety check for anyone seeking to work with tamariki. Paid workers who primarily work with tamariki such as Kaiawhina and Kaiako are considered Core-Children’s Workers.

Applicants are not required to disclose all conviction history if it is covered by the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004. However, core worker background checks will reveal a full criminal history and any other relevant information.  

If you require assistance, you can email us on [email protected] or call us on 0800 KOHANGA (0800 564 2642) and press option 1. 

Check out the Frequently Asked Questions below for more information about Child Safety Checks, children’s workers and more.

Anei he tirohanga whānui mō te tukanga tono mō te arowhai a ngā Pirīhimana me te hono ki te puka tono kai raro nei. 

Pēhia te pātene kai raro kia tīmata i tō tono kia tirohia rānei ngā Paptapatai Auau e tukuna ana, ka hoki mai ai ki tēnei wāhanga kia tīmata i to tono ka rite ana koe. 

Here’s an overview of the Police vetting application process and a link to the application form is below.

Click the button below to start your application or review the Frequently Asked Questions provided, then return to this section to start your application when you're ready.
 

Ko ngā Patapatai Auau

Frequently Asked Questions

Police vetting and a Child Safety Check are not the same thing. A Police vet is one component of a Child Safety Check.  

Before a person is employed or engaged as a children’s worker, as defined in the Children’s Act 2014, a safety check as required by that Act must be completed.  

These records must be kept by, or available to, the service provider for as long as the person is employed or engaged.  

Every children’s worker must be safety checked every three years. Safety checks may be carried out by the employer or another person or organisation acting on their behalf.  

A written procedure for safety checking all children’s workers (before employment, or prior to the workers starting their engagement) must meet the safety checking requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.  

Consistent and robust safety checking helps us to assess whether people might pose a risk to children.  

Note: Refer to the Ministry of Education's Safety Checking guidance: Safety checking - general guidance – Education in New Zealand  
 

What are the Child Safety Check requirements?  

A Child Safety Check is made up of 7 components:  

  1.  Verification of identity (including previous identities)  

  2.  An interview  

  3.  Information about work history  

  4.  Referee information  

  5.  Information from any relevant professional organisation or registration body (The Trust)  

  6.  New Zealand Police vetting  

  7.  A risk assessment

The risk assessment involves an evaluation of all information collected to assess if there is any risk to the safety of tamariki. For example, is a driving offence relevant to the requirements of the role or going to pose a risk to tamariki? Would this information mean you should or shouldn’t employ or engage the person? You must consider the guidance we have provided in your risk assessment.  

The publication Safer recruitment, safer children provides best practice guidance and Children’s worker safety checking under the Vulnerable Children Act 2014 provides advice for organisations interpreting and applying the safety checking regulations.  

A safety check of a new children’s worker requires all 7 components to be completed.  

Full guidance on the requirements of Child Safety Checks and the licensing criteria [GMA7A] can be found here: GMA7A Safety Checking – Education in New Zealand  

A children's worker is a person who works in an early learning service (Kōhanga Reo) and their work may or does involve regular or overnight contact with children, and takes place without a parent / guardian of each child being present.   

A core children's worker is a person whose work requires or allows them to be the only children's worker present or is the worker who has primary responsibility for or authority over a child or children. "Primary responsibility" means the person is accountable, or there is a duty of obligation or care².  

Sources:  

  1. Safety checking - general guidance – Education in New Zealand 

  2. Child labour - Wikipedia

  3. Children’s Act 2014 - New Zealand Legislation  

  4. Children’s worker safety checking and child protection policies 

  5. Definitions in Vulnerable Children Act 2014 - Ministry of Education  

A non-core children's worker is a children's worker who is not a core worker. For a detailed definition, please see Section 23 of the Children’s Act 2014³¹.  

Volunteers and whānau awhi are Non-Core Children’s Workers. 

Sources:   

  1. Children’s Act 2014 - New Zealand Legislation  

  2. Children’s Worker Safety Checks - ACC

  3. Safety checking | Oranga Tamariki — Ministry for Children 

  4. Children’s worker safety checking and child protection policies 

Q: What is a Police vetting? 

A: Police vetting is a process of checking an individual's criminal history, including any prior convictions or charges, to determine their suitability to work with tamariki. Police vetting for Kōhanga Reo is conducted by the New Zealand Police in conjunction with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust as the approved agency by Police. 

Police Vetting is one part of the Child Safety Checks process (GMA7A) required for all children’s workers in Kōhanga Reo and other early learning services. 

Q: What is the purpose of Police vetting in Kōhanga Reo? 

A: The purpose of Police vetting is to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of tamariki attending Kōhanga Reo. It helps to identify any individuals who may pose a risk to tamariki and prevents them from working or volunteering with tamariki. 

Q: Who can carry out Police vetting for Kōhanga Reo? 

A: Police vetting can only be carried out by the New Zealand Police through an agency approved by the New Zealand Police. Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust is the approved agency for Kōhanga Reo. 

Q: How often do kaimahi and whānau awhi need to be police vetted? 

A: Kaimahi and whānau awhi must be Police vetted at least once every three years. If there is a change in circumstances and a kaimahi or volunteer is facing charges or is convicted of a crime, the person should disclose this to the whānau and complete a new Police vetting consent (www.kohanga.ac.nz/policevetting) to enable a new risk analysis to be completed. 

Q: Do overseas Police checks need to be completed for kaimahi and volunteers in Kōhanga Reo? 

A: Yes, if the kaimahi or volunteer has lived overseas for more than six months within the last 10 years, an overseas Police check must also be completed in addition to the New Zealand Police check. 

Q: What happens if a Police vetting check shows a criminal record? 

A: Having a criminal record does not automatically disqualify someone from working or volunteering in Kōhanga Reo. The individual's circumstances will be assessed to determine whether they pose a risk to tamariki. If there is a concern, the Trust may refer the matter to whānau to make a decision or decide the risk factors are too high and the kaimahi or whānau awhi will not be cleared to work in the Kōhanga Reo. 

Q: What happens if a Police vet check reveals the person has been convicted of a specified offence under Schedule 2 of the Children's Act? 

A: If a Police vet check reveals that an individual has been convicted of a specified offence under schedule 2 of the Children's Act, the person cannot work with tamariki unless they obtain an exemption from Oranga Tamariki. 

The specified offences listed in schedule 2 of the Children's Act are offences that involve sexual or violent behaviour towards children or vulnerable individuals, such as physical abuse, sexual exploitation, or neglect. 

You can read more about the exemption process here.

Q: What are the consequences for Kōhanga Reo that do not carry out Police vetting? 

A: Failure to carry out Police vetting may result in the Kōhanga Reo being non-compliant with licensing requirements. This could result in penalties or the suspension or cancellation of the service's licence to operate, and a fine of up to $50,000 for every breach of the requirements. 

Q: Why doesn’t the Trust provide a copy of the conviction history for whānau to make a decision? 

A: As the agency approved by New Zealand Police to support Police Vetting on behalf of Kōhanga Reo, the Trust is required to maintain the strictest confidentiality about the information released. 

Where a conviction is deemed low risk for the role, the Trust will clear the kaimahi or whānau awhi to work in Kōhanga Reo. Where the risk is deemed to be medium for the role, the Trust will provide a copy of the conviction history to the applicant and will encourage them to share the information with whānau in good faith. The Tiamana will be advised that results have been released and that they should speak with the applicant. Whānau must meet and decide whether to allow the applicant to work in the Kōhanga Reo. The whānau decision will be recorded in the Trust system. 

Q: Who can transfer their Police vetting between Kōhanga Reo? 

Any person who is cleared by the Trust without conditions can apply to have their Police vetting transferred between Kōhanga Reo. 

Q: How do I transfer my Police vet to another Kōhanga Reo? 

Click here to open the Police Vetting - Request to transfer form. Once open in your browser, please download and complete the form, then email it to [email protected] with "TRANSFER REQUEST" in the subject line.

Please include the kaiwhakarite and / or chairperson of your new Kōhanga Reo in the email. 

Q: When does the Trust clear a person with conditions? 

Using the Police Vetting Clearance Criteria the Trust may decide to refer the matter to whānau to make a decision as to suitability for employment. In these circumstances the risk assessment undertaken by whānau is specific to that Kōhanga Reo and therefore is not eligible to be transferred. 

Workers under 17 years can be Police vetted, but if the Kōhanga Reo choose to engage them as a core worker the young person does not contribute to adult to mokopuna ratio. 

Further detail: 

According to the ECE Regulations, Kōhanga Reo must always have a certain number of adults for the number of Tamariki attending. This is called the adult-to-child ratio. The ratio depends on the licence type, the age of the tamariki and the number of tamariki under 2 years old. Schedule 2 of the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations requires a person to be 17 years or older to count.

According to the Education and Training Act 2020, Police vetting procedures must be undertaken for adults who have unsupervised access to tamariki in Kōhanga Reo¹. Everyone working in Kōhanga Reo must be Police vetted. Under Schedule 4, clauses 2 - 4 of the Education and Training Act 2020, a Police vet must also be obtained for anyone else appointed to work during normal opening hours who may, or is likely to have, unsupervised access to children¹. 

Source: 

  1. Police vetting for early learning services - Education in New Zealand.

  2. Have your say about proposed changes to vetting requirements.

  3. Safety checking - general guidance – Education in New Zealand.  

 

Children’s workers must be Police vetted as part of a safety check 

Under Part 3 of the Children's Act 2014, all children’s workers must be Police vetted as part of a safety check. A children’s worker is anyone whose work involves regular or overnight contact with children, takes place without parents or guardians being present, and is paid or undertaken as part of an educational or training course. A New Zealand Police vet must be obtained before the children’s worker starts work. 

Children's Act 2014 – New Zealand Legislation 

Everyone else working in an early learning service must be Police vetted 

Under Schedule 4 of the Education and Training Act 2020, a Police vet must also be obtained for: 

• non-teaching and unregistered employees before the person begins work at the service; and 

• contractors and their employees before the person has, or is likely to have unsupervised access to children 

Schedule 4 of the Education and Training Act 2020 – New Zealand Legislation 

Source: 

  1. Police vetting for early learning services - Education in New Zealand.

  2. Have your say about proposed changes to vetting requirements.

  3. Safety checking - general guidance – Education in New Zealand.  

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