St Joseph's School
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St Joseph's School completes police vetting as part of our responsibility to ensure the safety of our students (Children's Act 2014, Education and Training Act 2020, Health and Safety at Work Act 2015). Also see Safety Checking.
Who we police vet
At St Joseph's School we police vet all employed 
children's workers (core and non-core) as required by the Children's Act. The Children's Act (s 23) defines children's workers as those working in, or providing, a regulated service that may involve regular or overnight access to a child/children without a parent/guardian present.
As required by the Education and Training Act, we also police vet certain people who do not meet the definition of a children's worker but who could come into contact with students at the school. This may include:
unsupervised access to students at the school during normal school hoursWhen deciding who to police vet, we are guided by the Ministry of Education – see What checks do I need to undertake for adults coming into my school or kura? 
.
The Teaching Council police vets teachers as part of registered teachers gaining a practising certificate, or unregistered and uncertificated teachers gaining a limited authority to teach (LAT). See Teaching Staff.
Non-teaching staff
We are required by the Children's Act 2014 to police vet non-teaching staff who meet the definition of a children's worker. We are also required by the Education and Training Act (Schedule 4, clause 9) to police vet non-teaching staff who are employed, or applying to be employed, at the school during normal school hours, and who are not registered teachers or holders of a limited authority to teach (LAT). We complete a police vet and risk assessment before non-teaching staff start work at the school and then every three years.
Contractors
As required by the Education and Training Act (Schedule 4, clause 10), we police vet contractors and sub-contractors, including their employees, if they are likely to have unsupervised access to students at school during normal school hours.
The board is responsible for determining the conditions of access for contractors. For school construction projects we create a school access plan to determine how and when contractors will access the school, and which workers will require a police vet. See School property contractors 
(Ministry of Education).
Also see Contractors Working at School.
Volunteers
Volunteers are not legally required to be police vetted, although the school may choose to do this as we determine necessary. At our school, we police vet parent volunteers for camps and overnight activities. Also see Volunteer Involvement.
Board candidates
To be appointed to our board, candidates must meet the eligibility requirements of the Education and Training Act 2020 (Schedule 23, clauses 9–10). Candidates are also ineligible if they have a Schedule 2 offence under the Children's Act 2014. See Board Responsibilities.
How we police vet
The board is responsible for police vetting but may delegate the process to a suitable person. The board remains accountable for decisions made about access and supervision.
When police vetting a person, we:
category (core or non-core) a worker belongs to based on their role at St Joseph's School (if the distinction is unclear, we consult NZSBA and/or seek legal advice)In some instances, the school may choose to accept some or all of the components of a safety check carried out by other organisations (e.g. relieving agencies, teacher training providers, transport service providers) on behalf of the school, or as part of that organisation's own certifying, enrolment, or employment processes. This may include police vetting. See Safety Checking.
We do not accept police vets supplied by individuals, with the exception of prospective children's workers who have been living overseas and are not registered teachers.
Record keeping
The school maintains a detailed record of all police vets and risk assessments. All police vetting and risk assessment information is kept confidential and managed according to our privacy and records retention policies. See Privacy Policy and School Records Retention and Disposal.
We keep the following information according to the School Records Retention and Disposal Schedule:
The above police vetting records are kept securely for audit purposes for seven years from the date of the last action. They can then be destroyed, with permission from the board. If unsure, we consult NZSBA or seek legal advice before destroying records.
The principal assures the board that any non-teaching staff (who are not registered teachers or holders of a limited authority to teach) are police vetted, and any contractors and their employees have been police vetted if they may have unsupervised access to students during normal school hours. The principal confirms that police vets have been completed every 3 years. See Review Schedule and Board Assurances.
Hei mihi | Acknowledgement SchoolDocs appreciates the professional advice of the Anderson Lloyd legal team (Dunedin) in reviewing this policy. |
Release history: Term 4 2024, Term 1 2024
