AQW 23407/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 26/02/2025
Answered On Date: 05/03/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to 22414/22-27, whether there is a requirement for a teacher to be informed when a classroom assistant working in their class does not have an Access NI check in place.

Answer:

Circular 2024/10 ‘Pre-Employment / Access NI Check Requirements and Safer Recruitment Practices for Staff and Volunteers Working in or Providing a Service for Schools/Education Settings’ advises that the school principal is responsible for safeguarding in their school, for completing a risk assessment in respect of unvetted staff and for ensuring that non-vetted staff are supervised by someone who is in regulated activity. It is the principal’s responsibility to assess the safeguarding risk and to decide how this should be managed within the context of the school.