The International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC) is an official certificate, similar to an enhanced DBS check. These certificates are for any people who are UK nationals or who have previously lived in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man and want to work with children or vulnerable adults abroad. The system and ICPC certificate aims to safeguard children and vulnerable adults from potential abuse by individuals traveling overseas for employment, volunteering, or charitable activities. The DBS system works well within the UK, but enhanced DBS certificates cannot be produced when applying for positions in other countries.
What is Listed on an ICPC?
The ICPC lists any information about an applicant’s criminal history. This might include both convictions and cautions which are felt to be relevant to the applicant’s potential work with children or vulnerable adults overseas. The certificate will also show the applicant’s personal details such as full name, date of birth and address, and a photograph. Underneath, it will list any relevant convictions, cautions, reprimands, warnings, and relevant police intelligence. Additionally, it may include foreign conviction information shared with the UK by overseas authorities.
Getting an ICPC
Getting an ICPC is a similar process to applying for an enhanced DBS disclosure check. Applicants must first fill in a simple online application form, giving their personal details and uploading the required documentation, including a recent passport-style photograph, colour copies of their passport or travel document, and details of their address history and any pending prosecutions or past convictions. The application fee is £90, which includes one copy of the certificate. You can’t apply for an ICPC on behalf of someone else, except in very limited situations such as having power or attorney for them. Employers can’t apply for you either; if you are thinking of taking up a teaching or sports coaching job overseas, then you will have to arrange your ICPC in advance before you have left the UK.
What is Disclosed on the ICPC
The police used what is known as a step-down model to ensure that the disclosure of criminal convictions on ICPCs is proportionate. Criminal convictions are stepped down after a set period, considering factors such as the seriousness of the offence, the age of the subject at the time of the offence, the outcome, and the sentence imposed. In essence, this means that very minor matters from several years ago should not appear on an ICPC, especially if since the conviction was received you maintained a clean record.
ICPCs are only supplied as a hard copy and sent out in the post. The processing time for ICPCs is up to 20 working days, excluding the date of submission, and posting. You can also apply for an ICPC from overseas if you have had a change of plan while living abroad or travelling. Remember that even airmail will add a considerable waiting time, which can be a problem if you need to start work right away. Full advice on the ICPC process is available from ACRO.
