The Importance to conduct police checks when hiring
Announcement posted by Australian National Character Check 16 Jun 2020
When applying for a new role, it is common practice for a potential employer to request to perform a police check on you. Here are some notes to help you better understand what a national police check is and why it’s important that they are conducted.
So what is a national police check?
A national police check search involves identifying and releasing any relevant Australian Federal Police information subject to relevant spent convictions, non-disclosure legislation and information release policies. Each of these police checks can only be undertaken with the informed consent of the person being checked. In Australia, you can obtain the following police checks based on the current state you living in:
police check vic
police check act
police check tas
police check wa
police check sa
The national police clearance process involves:
searching a central index containing the names of persons of interest to police;
possible matches referred to the relevant police services for evaluation of their records; and
issuing a national police certificate
Why should an organisation conduct police checks?
By carrying out national police checks, an organisation is showing due diligence and care. It exemplifies that the company values their reputation, team culture and clients.
Corporate respondents in the 2016 PwC Global Economic Crime Survey stated the greatest organisational damage they experienced as a result of economic crime was damage to employee morale.
Protect assets and data of the organisation
Protect the safety of staff and employees
Protect company’s reputation
Safeguarding the Organization's Culture
Attract and retain high performing workers
What does a national police clearance include?
A national police certificate provides a summary of a person’s criminal record in Australia and usually includes:
court appearances
court convictions, including any penalty or sentence
findings of guilt with no conviction
good behaviour bonds or other court orders
charges
matters awaiting a court hearing
What does a police clearance certificate not include?
National police checks do not contain information about spent convictions. A spent conviction is a criminal conviction that has been removed from a person’s criminal record because it has lapsed after a period. Whether a conviction is spent will vary on state and federal legislation, but generally a spent finding is a criminal offence older than 5 years if convicted as a child, or an offence older than 10 years in any other case.
Where does a company get police check forms from?
Police checks serve to protect an organisation’s employees, productivity, performance, resources, clients, culture and reputation and are an integral part of the background check process for potential employees. Therefore, it’s important that organisation’s partner with an accredited police check provider that has access to the national police checking service to ensure they receive reliable and timely results. A police check application can be found online. When an organisation is considering agencies to conduct police record checks, they generally keep the following things in mind:
Have a fast turnaround, so they don’t miss out on top talent.
Be accredited by the Australian Federal Government and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
Have an easy-to-use interface, so that they aren’t wasting time.
As they are dealing with sensitive documents, they’ll want to find a reputable and trusted provider to conduct the police check for them.