Deep concern has been expressed after it was revealed over 1,500 people are working in Northern Ireland schools without having an Access NI background check completed.
Belfast Live reported earlier this month that hundreds of classroom assistants are working in schools here without having such checks completed. And new figures have now shown that, when combined with staff in other roles such as sports coaches, cleaners and canteen staff, there are over 1,500 people already working in schools without their checks completed.
Education Minister Paul Givan has told the chief executive of the Education Authority, the former head of the civil service in Northern Ireland Richard Pengelly, to order a "review" of hiring processes.
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Alliance MLA Michelle Guy has called for the review to be done "urgently", and told Belfast Live the number of school workers without completed background checks is "deeply concerning".
An Access NI check will look for criminal convictions and it's required for certain jobs in Northern Ireland, with an "enhanced" check usually required for anyone working with children or vulnerable adults.
Earlier this month, the head of the scrutiny committee for the Department of Education at Stormont - Alliance MLA Nick Mathison - was given the figures on classroom assistants working in schools without their checks complete.
Mr Mathison had lodged a "priority" written question with the Minister.
In a follow-up question, his party colleague Michelle Guy requested the total number of people currently working in schools - not just classroom assistants - without an Access NI Check "in roles that have contact with children and young people".
Mr Givan said that, as of February 5, there were 862 classroom assistants, 240 cleaning and building supervisors, 42 transport staff, 100 catering staff, 107 supervisory assistants, 71 extended and after-schools staff, and 112 staff in other roles including exam invigilators, language assistants and sports coaches who hadn't had an Access NI check completed - a total of 1,534.
"It is deeply concerning that alongside classroom assistants, there also appears to be sports coaches, after school staff and even youth workers, employed by the Education Authority who are still awaiting Access NI checks," Michelle Guy said.
In his response to the Alliance MLA, Mr Givan said: "All education workers employed in a statutory education setting in a regulated activity post are required to complete an Access NI check. These checks are carried out by the relevant employing authority. Both the Education Authority (EA) and Council for Catholic Maintained schools (CCMS) have confirmed that there are no teaching staff working in schools with an outstanding Access NI check."
He continued: "Support staff are employed by the EA, and they have advised that in the case of a short-term temporary hire or emergency cover appointment, it is not always possible to finalise the Access NI check prior to engagement. When awaiting the outcome of an Access NI check, the school principal is required to complete a risk assessment, ensure the staff member is supervised at all times by someone who is vetted to work in regulated activity and follow-up to confirm that the Access NI check has subsequently been completed."
The Minister added: "I have written to the EA Chief Executive asking him to review the process for support staff and take action to ensure that the number of outstanding checks is kept to a minimum"
Michelle Guy welcomed the request for a review of the EA's hiring, saying: "Child safeguarding needs to be first and foremost in every situation, and so I welcome the request for the Education Authority to review their processes for support staff."
She added: "This needs to be done urgently, and the Authority and Department of Education should clarify immediately what the outcome is."
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