AccessNI Procedure

The safeguarding of young people in our care is our priority. At Scouts, we have various processes in place to make sure only appropriate adults can volunteer with us. This includes a criminal record check.

From the first moments of being a volunteer and then on an ongoing basis, we work closely with the UK Vetting Team to ensure a smooth process is undertaken and every step is simplified as much as possible.

For all volunteers in Scouts NI, our disclosure and criminal record checks are completed via AccessNI. Access NI criminal record checks are part of making safer appointment decisions, making sure only appropriate people work with vulnerable groups, including young people.

3rd April 2025 Update

From 3 April 2025, there’s been some changes to the application process for Access Northern Ireland (AccessNI) Criminal Record Checks.

All applicants are now required to have a Northern Ireland Direct account (NIDA LOA2) before they apply for an ANI Criminal Record check.

Step 1 of 2 – Completing the ID check on the Membership System

Once an adult has been added to the membership system on scouts.org.uk, they should be provided with:

1. The link to an online copy of the Invitation Letter which explains the application process step by step. 
2. The 6-digit PIN number as they will need this to create their account (PIN 386618).

Under the new requirements, the applicant’s identity will have been verified by NI Direct, via their NIDA LOA2 account however it remains a legal requirement within the disclosure process for The Scouts to be satisfied as to the applicant’s identity.

The original identity documents supplied by applicants must be reviewed by the ID Checker to ensure that they exactly match the application and there should be a discussion with the applicant to ensure that all previous, current, known by and maiden names are included in the application. 

The ID Checker will find further guidance in the ID Checker’s Guidance

• The ID checker must only accept valid, current, and original documentation and must not accept photocopies. Documentation printed from the internet e.g. internet bank statements must not be accepted.   
• The applicant must record all previous, current and known by names and provide documentary 

Start by signing in to scouts.org.uk 

Please note that you can request a disclosure only after the volunteer signs in to scouts.org.uk and provides their personal details. If you’re requesting a disclosure for a member who’s under 18, their role’s start date must be before their 18th birthday to allow you to request their disclosure.

On your welcome page: 

1. Click ‘My membership’.

On the top right (if you’re using a phone, click the menu button on the top right): 

2. Click ‘Search member’. 

On the ‘Member search’ page: 

3. Type the member’s name into the text box and click ‘Search’.

4. Click the member’s name on the list.  

On the left-hand side menu, under the member’s name (if you’re using a phone, click the menu button on the top right, then click the member’s name): 

5. Click ‘Disclosures’.  

6. Click ‘Request disclosure’ under the column ‘Action’ (you might need to scroll along using the bar at the bottom of the list). 

On the member’s disclosure page: 

7. Check the member’s details match their ID and click on the ID that you have seen.

If you need to correct the member’s details, on the left-hand side menu (if you’re using a phone, click the menu button on the top right) click the member’s name. Click ‘Edit’ where you need to make any changes, click ‘Save changes’ and then return to step 4.  

8. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the declaration.

9. Click ‘Submit’

Step 2 of 2 – The applicant completes their Enhanced AccessNI online application on the NI Direct website

Creating an AccessNI application

Applicants will need to have an NIDA LOA2 Account. They may have a NI Direct account already if they’ve, for example, recently renewed their driving licence or for Covid certification. They can tell if it’s updated to a LOA2 account by how they log on, as they would have multifactor authentication (secure code via phone/email) log on. Guidance can be found at Guide to creating a NIDA LOA2 account for AccessNI applications.

Applicants should follow the instructions on the Invitation Letter and create their Access NI Criminal Check application. Further guidance is on the Access NI website. Under the new requirements, the applicant themselves will need to upload 2 identify documents from the List of Acceptable Documents. These will need to be uploaded so they are clear and can be easily read.

Please note that Access Northern Ireland recommends that one of these documents is a Birth Certificate. If applicants do not have a Birth Certificate, they can request a copy from the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI).

The applicant then completes their Enhanced AccessNI online application (PIN 386618).

We ask that all volunteers take a note of the 10-digit case reference number, so that they can trace their application on the AccessNI website.

Rechecks

Scouts require volunteers to update their criminal record check every 5 years. If a volunteer requires a recheck, the ID Checker must use the Rechecks Invitation Letter. There is also guidance on rechecks for the ID Checker in ID Checker’s Guidance.

Regulated Activity

Regulated activity is work that a barred person must not do. This note provides information on the scope of Regulated Activity in relation to children, defined in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (SVG) Act 2006 and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007, both as amended (in particular by, respectively, section 64 and Schedule 7, Protection of Freedoms Act 2012). This note is about the law in England and Wales, and in Northern Ireland.  Download a copy here: Appendix Ci – Regulated-activity-children

Barred list checks

People on barred lists are barred from regulated activity with children and vulnerable adults.  It is a criminal offence for someone on these lists to work or apply to work in regulated activity.

The Disclosure and Barring Service keeps two barred lists:

• People who are unsuitable for working with children
• People who are unsuitable for working with vulnerable adults

Further Guidance

Further guidance

Read more information on the AccessNI applications process, and general information on AccessNI.

AccessNI’s Code of Practice is also available through their website. 

A copy of our policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders is available on request from the Scouts Support Centre.

We’ll keep certain types of information for different periods of time in line with our  Data Retention Policy. 

Read our Data Protection Policy.

Contact us

If you would like more information or support around Access NI or our Disclosure process, please contact our team at NI:

• Scott Robinson, NI Transformation Lead – scottrobinson@scoutsni.org
• Pamela Hale, Admin Manager (Scouts NI) – pamelahale@scoutsni.org