AQW 24056/22-27
Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley
Tabled Date: 07/03/2025
Answered On Date: 18/03/2025
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Education, following his request that the Education Authority (EA) urgently reviews the Access NI process, whether the EA will publish any changes it is making to the process.
Answer:
On 4 February 2025, the Education Authority (EA) notified all schools that they had changed the Access NI process to require new employees to provide all the documentation necessary for checks before they receive their first payment. This should prevent any future build-up of outstanding vetting checks associated with temporary engagement. The Department of Education (DE) is also carrying out an urgent review of DE 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. The proposed changes include the introduction of a requirement for Access NI documentation to be submitted to the EA on day one of employment where an individual is appointed via the emergency recruitment process. In addition, it is proposed that the school leader will be required to seek a reference from a previous employer, which focuses on safeguarding and child protection. The revised Circular will be published on the DE website as soon as the consultation process concludes, and all schools will be notified accordingly. Any additional changes to the Access NI process will be communicated to schools and service users in due course.
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