Information Regarding AccessNI Changes
Information Regarding AccessNI Changes
Due to recent changes introduced by AccessNI, the way AccessNI checks are processed has now been changed. Below is a summary of the key changes and their implications for the Church of Ireland.
New Vetting Team
Processing AccessNI disclosures will now take place from Church House in Rathmines, Dublin. Our current Garda Vetting staff -Christine Cody, Alex Kinch and Chiara De Raffaele, will be taking over the processing of AccessNI checks and Garda Vetting checks. This new vetting team will be based in Church House, Rathmines, and managed by Niall Moore.
You can contact the vetting team by:
Email: AccessNI.admin@rcbcoi.org
Phone: 00353 1 4125624 (ROI number) / 0044 7849 643083 (NI number)
Post: Vetting Team, Church of Ireland House, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6, D06 CF67
For dioceses with parishes located in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the contact details for Garda Vetting applications remain unchanged.
To increase the efficiency of the AccessNI process, we encourage all parishes and dioceses to scan or take a clear photo of their documentation and send it to AccessNI.admin@rcbcoi.org. For security purposes, we recommend that you password-protect these documents and contact the vetting team by phone to share the password.
If you prefer to post documents, we kindly ask that you send them directly to the Dublin office at the address provided above. Any mail sent to the Belfast office will be collected and forwarded to Dublin once a week. Please note that this will result in a delay in processing checks, so where possible, we strongly encourage the submission of forms via email.
Changes to AccessNI System
AccessNI are implementing changes to the vetting process. Effective from 3rd April 2025, the processing of Identification Checks for AccessNI will be required to be completed online.
Applicants will be required to upload various forms of ID documentation when creating their account on NIDirect. Additional documentation will then be uploaded online as part of their AccessNI application. The vetting team will verify the ID, eliminating the need for this step to be completed at diocesan or parish level.
To incorporate these changes a new Application Pack has been created and can be accessed here https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/access-ni/.
Who can be Checked and What Type of Checks are Available?
Due to changes in guidance and practice from AccessNI, roles within the Church of Ireland that are eligible for enhanced checks have changed.
We have worked with AccessNI to establish a list of roles eligible for an enhanced check and those that are not. This list is not definitive, and we will regularly review it with AccessNI to ensure it remains current. Any updates will be shared on our website: https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/access-ni/. It is important that each role is assessed according to the guidance to determine whether an AccessNI check is required. If you believe a role is missing from the list and should be included, please let us know, and we will contact AccessNI for clarification and update the list accordingly.
Roles that are not eligible for an enhanced check can still apply for a basic check. This can be done directly by the applicant and will not be processed by the Vetting Team. For more information on how to apply, please follow this link: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/apply-online-basic-check.
AccessNI checks are role-specific, and it is important to remember that if an individual who does not require an enhanced check for their current role takes on a new role, they may need an enhanced check. It is essential to note that AccessNI checks are just one part of the safeguarding process. For roles that are not eligible for an enhanced disclosure, it is crucial to ensure that appropriate recruitment processes and safeguarding arrangements are adhered to.
New Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
For data protection reasons, we now require that each parish and diocese sign a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between them and the RCB . The SLA is available here: https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/access-ni/. Once signed, the SLA should be scanned and emailed to AccessNI.admin@rcbcoi.org as soon as possible. Please note that no new AccessNI checks will be processed without a valid SLA in place.
The SLA requires each diocese or parish to designate an authorised signatory—typically the Bishop for dioceses or the Incumbent for parishes. This contact is the person that all correspondence will be sent to and information about vetting will be shared with. An authorised signatory can also designate a contact person where correspondence can be sent to if they wish. This can be done on page 7 of the SLA. If personnel change, please let the vetting team know and we can issue a new SLA.
Repeating AccessNI Checks
Under the new policy, we will be moving to rechecking AccessNI every 3 years. It is important that parishes and dioceses retain records to enable them to resubmit AccessNI applications when they are required. If you need to check the last AccessNI checks that were submitted, please contact a member of the vetting team.
Paying for AccessNI Checks
If roles require payment, this will continue to be processed in the normal way. AccessNI will invoice the vetting team for the checks and these costs will be attributed to the relevant parish or diocese via an email from Christine Cody in the vetting team.
What do I Need to do Next?
- Sign the Service Level Agreement and send it via email to AccessNI.admin@rcbcoi.org
- Read the list of roles to be vetted on the website here: https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/access-ni/ and send through any application packs preferably online to AccessNI.admin@rcbcoi.org
