Your Right to Ask
A disclosure scheme which gives people the right to check the background of an individual who has contact with children came into force in 2013.
The Child Sex Offences Disclosure Scheme, which was introduced in the UK in 2009, focuses on disclosure and risk management where the subject is identified as being convicted of child sex offences.
This scheme is monitored by the States of Jersey Police.
The scheme invites people to ask about the history of a person who has some form of contact with a child or children.
It also allows individual members of the public to proactively seek information, with an expectation that the agencies responsible for safeguarding children will check to see whether relevant information exists and if it does, that consideration will be given to its disclosure where necessary to protect the child.
Other benefits are that the disclosure scheme encourages individuals to take responsibility for safety of their children and provides a way of getting more information on registered sex offenders (and other individuals who pose a risk to children) who are in contact with children.
This disclosure process builds on existing JMAPPA procedures and on Human Rights Law. It provides a clear access route for the public to raise child protection concerns and to be confident that action will follow.
It is of paramount importance to all involved in delivering this process that children are being protected from harm, so the Police Service, Health and Social Services, and Safeguarding Boards will work closely together to ensure that any possible risks of harm to the child or children are fully assessed and managed.
