** Please note: this information is taken from the website of Royal Canadian Mounted Police on June 11, 2024. To go to the actual website please go to https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/types-criminal-background-checks
Vulnerable sector checks must be conducted by the local Canadian police service where an applicant lives. In British Columbia, the British Columbia Criminal Records Review Program is the authorized body for conducting vulnerable sector checks.
A vulnerable sector check is a police information check plus a check to see if a person has a record suspension (pardon) for sexual offences.
Vulnerable sector checks were created in 2000 to protect children and vulnerable persons and is governed by section 6.3(3) of the Criminal Records Act. Policies and procedures related to vulnerable sector checks can be found in the Dissemination of Criminal Record Information policy and the Ministerial Directive Concerning the Release of Criminal Record Information by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Questions concerning vulnerable sector checks should be directed to your local police service. In British Columbia, you should contact the British Columbia Criminal Records Review Program.
People who volunteer or have jobs where they are in positions of trust or authority over children or vulnerable persons can be asked to obtain a vulnerable sector check. Being in a position of trust or authority is more than just having contact with children or vulnerable persons. To meet the legal requirements for a vulnerable sector check, the nature of the position – not the person – must cause the person to have authority over, or trust of, children or vulnerable persons.
Children are defined as being anyone under the age of 18. Vulnerable persons are people who, because of their age, disability or other circumstance, are more vulnerable than others.
The decision to request a vulnerable sector check is made by the hiring company or volunteer organization. If they determine that a position is one of trust or authority over children or vulnerable persons, they can request that an applicant for the position obtain a vulnerable sector check. The person or organization responsible for children or vulnerable persons also decides how often a vulnerable sector check must be repeated.
The decision to request a vulnerable sector check is made by the hiring company or volunteer organization. If they determine that a position is one of trust or authority over children or vulnerable persons, they can request that an applicant for the position obtain a vulnerable sector check. The person or organization responsible for children or vulnerable persons also decides how often a vulnerable sector check must be repeated.
Public Safety Canada's The Screening Handbook, 2012 Edition provides organizations with guidance on what level of criminal record screening they require and how to determine their screening requirements.
If you live in British Columbia, follow the process defined by the British Columbia Criminal Records Review Program. In all other cases, contact your local police service. You will be required to provide the police service with the following information:
Once the police service has determined that the position meets the requirements for a vulnerable sector check, a name based search will be conducted. In some cases you will be required to submit fingerprints to confirm your identity. The use of fingerprints ensures the accuracy of the identification process.
Once the vulnerable sector check is completed, the police service conducting the vulnerable sector check will send the results to the requesting organization.
The Criminal Records Act requires that vulnerable sector checks be conducted for individual positions. This means that if you are applying for different positions that require a vulnerable sector check, you may need to submit fingerprints for each of those individual positions.
The police service will use information submitted by the applicant to determine if the position meets the legal requirements to conduct a vulnerable sector check. If the position does not meet the requirements of the Criminal Records Act for a vulnerable sector check, it is illegal for the police service to conduct one.
The Criminal Records Act does not allow vulnerable sector checks to be conducted for the purpose of adoptions. However, based on other provisions in the Criminal Records Act, a local police service may request fingerprints in order to check if adoptive parents have record suspensions for sex offences. The RCMP strongly recommends that a check of local police records accompany any adoption request completed by Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS).