Polykids - Staff Safety Check

All children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

• All children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

• Safety checks must be undertaken, and the results obtained before the worker has access to children.
• Otago Polytechnic will undertake their own Police Vet Check of all staff employed by Otago Polytechnic regardless of said person being checked by another organisation e.g., Teaching Council.
• Registered teachers who hold a current practising certificate will have been police vetted by the Teaching Council as part of issuing and renewing the person’s practising certificate.  In order for the Teaching Council to issue or renew a practising certificate they will have considered them to have a satisfactory police vet.  A certified teacher can commence employment in a supervised capacity until the Otago Polytechnic receives a copy of the new staff members police check as long as all other components of the safety check are met.

• Polykids safety check for new staff includes the collection, and risk assessment of the following information.
• Verification of identity (including previous identities).  Two forms of identification will be obtained, this must include one specified form of photographic identification.
• Interview notes
• Record of work history – An application for employment will be completed for any new staff and a copy of their CV obtained where available.
• Two referee checks will be carried out for any permanent or fixed term appointments.  One referee check will be carried out for casual employees.
• Evidence of relevant qualifications will be sighted and copied.  Documents will be checked to ensure the name matches the name on the person’s identity documentation.  Practising certificate will also be checked again the Teaching Council’s online register.
• A NZ police vet
• A risk assessment of the information obtained will be carried out.

• Results of safety checks will be recorded, and records kept for as long as the person is employed at our service.

• Every Polykids staff member must be safety checked every three years either by Otago Polytechnic or the Teaching Council when renewing practising certificates.

• Polykids contracts relief staff from Preschool Staffing Solutions from time to time.  These relievers have been safety checked and police vetted by Preschool Staffing Solutions before commencing work within any centre.

• Overseas workers – A NZ police vet must be obtained as part of a safety check.  If a children’s worker has lived overseas, they will be requested to provide copies of police certificates from their countries of citizenship and from any country in which they have lived in for one or more years with the last ten years.  If a person cannot provide an overseas police certificate, they will be required to provide proof of their attempts to obtain one and be asked to provide a statutory declaration that states whether they have any overseas criminal convictions or not.  NZ Police has a service which enables approved agencies to make an optional request for an Australian criminal history check which will be utilised for workers that have resided in Australia.