Exam invigilator - non uk applicant, police checks

[TheCatsPjammas]

I just applied for an exam invigilator role.

I’ve lived in the uk over 30 plus years. I’m an Irish citizen. My enhanced dbs came back fine. However the school is insistent that I request a ‘police criminal check’ for when I was a child/student in the Irish republic. I came to the uk in my early 20s.

Anybody else have this requirement placed on them ? I think it’s OTT. Btw I have a clean record and employment history. I volunteered for cubs/brownies when my kids were younger with no issue, needed a edbs for this too.

unfortunately it’s not straightforward to get a police check from Ireland and they only issue them for visa requirements/ working for eu institution…. Not for employment purposes.

Id just be interested hear other people’s experiences or what their schools do.

im in catch22 situation as i cant see how i can provide the ‘proof’.

Is it worth reposting in the 'craicnet' section?

Ok, might try that, thx.

also was just thinking it might apply to any other EU citizen too.

I'm like you, Irish, over 30 yrs in UK have had numerous dbs checks, never ever been asked for an Irish police check. It's odd especially just for invigilation, if you no what I mean.

I’ve been going around in circles. But at last I seem to have got somewhere.

Essentially I’ll have to sign a ‘declaration of criminal history -overseas’ for the time period I was a uni student in Ireland and state I actually don’t have a criminal record.

I can’t get the police certificate from the Irish police- they only issue it for visas/ adoption/ setting up an EUbusiness. I had trouble convincing the school that I couldn’t get it. The gov uk website gives the details to get one and make it sound easy. However the Gardaí site has the list of caveats of when they will issue one.
Plus trying to remember addresses/dates back that far! It’s been a learning curve.

I think it stems from the KCSIE sept 2024 (keeping children safe in education).

The school can make ‘appropriate checks’ if you have spent any of your adult life abroad, the school is looking at time periods of 3 months+…. Hence it’s really open to interpretation as to what checks they need to do.

I’ve not heard of anyone else having to do this before. I volunteered at my kids primary school about 10 years ago 1-1 with an enhanced dbs. I guess the rules have changed!

I guess because many people don’t go into ‘education’ in their 50s they won’t have experienced this. It prob wont affect those already in education.

I do wonder if some schools will apply this retrospectively to their staff!

It’s just hard to dig out info from so long ago, who would still have proof of address at their uni house from 30+ years ago…

I’m a safeguarding lead. It’s something we have to ask for but not all countries will provide it.

I had to provide police certificates for time I spent in Germany and Switzerland.
Luckily police certificates like that are a relatively routine thing there, just a bit of an admin headache.

Just wondering if 3 months is standard or if it is 6 months ? The KSIE doesn’t specify a time period. I was asked to account for any period 3months plus.

I’ve seen the dbs check goes back 5 years and that a police cert is required if you were out of the country more than 6 months within that 5 years.