As we have been hearing from our agencies, this screening enhancement has had a significant impact on their volunteer recruitment process.
Due to the extra work volume generated, there have been lengthy delays in getting criminal records checks processed. This has resulted in programming delays and in some cases loss of prospective volunteers.
Apparently, there have also been some challenges at the other end for the RCMP who manage this piece. There have been issues, in particular, where private screening companies are contracted by the agency to process the PRCs. Other issues are with regard to incomplete information provided by the agency/volunteer.
Volunteer Canada, on behalf of the sector is meeting with representatives of the RCMP branch that is stewarding this screening initiative to endeavour to address some of these issues.
In the interim, some information resources are now available that may answer some questions for agencies.
One of these is the Criminal Records Factsheet produced by the Canadian Police Information Centre. This Q and A sheet provides information on the new policy for criminal records checks and vulnerable sector verifications.
Volunteer Canada has also provided an information sheet on this new policy implementation, that was produced by Volunteer Alberta for its members.
The full policy on Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services is also available for download. This is the policy that mandates how dissemination of criminal record information is managed.
Volunteer Canada hopes to have further information available in the near future and when this is available we will pass this along to our agencies.