New Child Disclosure Arrangements Launched

Parents will now able to access information about someone they suspect might pose a risk to children.

Justice Minister David Ford has launched new Child Disclosure arrangements which will make it easier to check with the police if a person, who might pose a risk to children, has a criminal record for sexual or violent offences. The new provisions, contained in the 2015 Justice Act, have been added to existing methods of disclosing conviction information under the public protection arrangements (PPANI).

Minister Ford said: "It has always been the case that people could, and should, bring concerns to the police about the safety of a child. These new provisions make it easier, allowing any member of the public to come to a police station and apply for information about a person who they believe is a risk to children.

"Information about criminal convictions will only be provided to the person with primary care responsibility for the specific child and only if it is necessary to protect that child. It is, however, important to note that if there is an immediate risk of harm to a child, this will be addressed through current child protection procedures."

Detective Chief Superintendent George Clarke, head of the PSNI's Public Protection Branch, said: "This scheme, which is in addition to the arrangements already in place, will afford members of the public with genuine concerns about the safety of a child or children the opportunity to raise those concerns with us.

"We will then follow this up and where appropriate, share information which will help safeguard children and protect them from any risk or harm."

(CD/JP)