Student Criminal Disclosures

Why Does the College Have A Student Criminal Convictions Disclosure Policy?

Belfast Met aims to treat all applicants fairly and in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders (NI) Order 1978 (as amended), the Human Rights Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation.

However, we also have a duty of care to do everything reasonable to protect our students, staff and visitors from potential harm.  Our Student Criminal Convictions Disclosure Policy helps us to balance these responsibilities in order to provide a safe and inclusive College environment.

The Policy applies to everyone who is applying for, or who is already on, any course delivered at Belfast Metropolitan College.  This includes courses delivered at any Belfast Metropolitan College campus on behalf of another further or higher education institution.

A criminal disclosure will not prevent an application from being considered by the College, and the information disclosed will not necessarily prevent the applicant from enrolling and studying on the course of their choice.

Who needs to make a student criminal convictions disclosure?

The Policy requires all applicants/students to declare:

• • Any unspent criminal convictions (see Appendix 1 of the Policy for the definition of ‘unspent’)
  • Any new convictions received after applying for, or while studying on, a course at Belfast Met
  • Any ongoing legal proceedings for crimes involving safeguarding or child protection matters.

In addition, the Policy requires applicants for, or students already on, any healthcare-related, social work or counselling course, or any other course which might lead to a profession or occupation which involves working with children or adults at risk, to declare: 

• • Any spent and unfiltered criminal convictions (see Appendices 1 and 2 of the Policy for definitions)

How and when should a student criminal convictions disclosure be made?

Disclosure should be made as early as possible on the relevant disclosure form.  Each form explains the relevant timescales and the options for sending us the completed document for confidential processing.

Most applicants/students will need to fill in form CDF1 and give information on their unspent and new convictions and on any ongoing legal proceedings for crimes involving safeguarding or child protection matters.

Applicants for/students already on any healthcare-related, social work or counselling course, or any other course which might lead to a profession or occupation which involves working with children or adults at risk, need to fill in form CDF2.  These applicants/students need to give information on their unspent, new, spent and unfiltered convictions and on any ongoing legal proceedings for crimes involving safeguarding or child protection matters.

What happens after a student criminal convictions disclosure is made?

The Criminal Disclosures Panel will decide whether any risk to students, staff and visitors can safely be managed.  As soon as the Panel has made that decision, the applicant/student will be informed of the outcome.

What happens if applicants/students who need to make a student criminal convictions disclosure do not fill in the relevant form?

If an applicant/a student does not fill in the relevant form, and the College later finds out about their undisclosed convictions or ongoing legal proceedings, they may be refused a place or asked to leave their course.

Criminal records checks are carried out via AccessNI before a student can go on any work placement, so it is important to make full disclosure when applying for a course.

Where can applicants/students get advice on the definitions used on this page or on how to fill in the relevant student criminal convictions disclosure form?

Applicants/students can:

• • Read our Student Criminal Convictions Disclosure Policy
  • Contact a member of the College’s Criminal Disclosures Panel by e-mailing StudentSupport@belfastmet.ac.uk

Where can applicants/students get independent advice on criminal disclosures?

Independent information and advice on criminal disclosures is available from the Northern Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NIACRO).  NIACRO’s Employment Advice Line can be reached on 02890 320157, or applicants/students can visit the NIACRO website.