Access NI Policy Statement

As an organisation using AccessNI to help assess the suitability of applicants for positions of trust, Rutledge complies fully with AccessNI's Code of Practice regarding the correct handling, use, storage retention and disposal of Disclosure Applications and Disclosure information.

A summary of our commitments as a Registered Body is published as our AccessNI Code of Conduct and is also linked from our Careers page.

Reference: AccessNI Code of Practice.

We also comply fully with obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018 and other relevant legislative requirements with regards to the safe handling, storage, retention and disposal of Disclosure Information.

As we no longer receive a copy certificate from AccessNI, written consent will be obtained from the applicant when requesting and retaining a (copy of a) Disclosure certificate.

In accordance with section 124 of the Police Act 1997, Disclosure information is only passed to those who are authorised to receive it in the course of their duties. We maintain a record of all those to whom Disclosures or Disclosure information has been revealed. We recognise it is a criminal offence to pass this information to anyone who is not entitled to receive it.

Disclosure information is only used for the specific purpose for which it was requested and for which the applicant's full consent has been given.

Once a recruitment (or other relevant appointment, regulatory or licensing) decision has been taken, we do not keep Disclosure information for any longer than is necessary. We comply with AccessNI's Code of Practice requirement to ensure that it is not retained longer than is required for the specific purpose of taking a decision on the applicant's suitability.

Disclosure certificates will be returned to the applicant once a decision, recruitment or otherwise has been made and will be retained no longer than the agreed period.

Once the retention period has elapsed, we will ensure that any Disclosure information is immediately destroyed by secure means i.e. by shredding, pulping or burning. While awaiting destruction, Disclosure information will not be kept in any unsecured receptacle (e.g. waste bin or confidential sack).

We will not keep any photocopy or other image of the Disclosure or any copy or representation of the contents of a Disclosure or any other relevant non conviction information supplied by police. However, despite the above, we may keep a record of the date of issue of a Disclosure, the name of the subject, the type of Disclosure requested, the position for which the Disclosure was requested, the AccessNI unique reference number of the Disclosure Certificate and the details of the recruitment decision.

Rutledge agrees to abide by the following conditions in relation to all Disclosure information as described in the Code of Practice. Rutledge will ensure that:

• Disclosure information is not passed to persons who are not authorised to receive it under section 124 of Part V of the Police Act;
• Disclosure information is available only to those in the organisation who need to have access in the course of their duties;
• It will not retain Disclosures or a record of Disclosure information for longer than is required for the particular purpose. This will be no longer than six months after the date on which recruitment or other relevant decisions have been taken; or after the date on which any dispute about the accuracy of the Disclosure information has been resolved. This period will only be exceeded in very exceptional circumstances which justify retention for a longer period;
• It co-operates with AccessNI to undertake assurance checks as to the proper use and safekeeping of Disclosure information; and
• It reports to AccessNI any suspected malpractice in relation to this policy or any suspected offence concerning the handling or storage of Disclosure information.

This policy will take effect from 1 August 2024. The company HR Manager has overall responsibility for implementing and monitoring this policy, which will be reviewed on a regular basis following its implementation and additionally whenever there are relevant changes in legislation or to our working practices.

Any queries or comments about this policy should be addressed to the HR Manager.