Volunteers - Registration and Records Checks

Regulation

1. GENERAL
   This Regulation applies to all volunteers on or after September 1, 2007.
   1. In this Regulation:
      1. "Director" means the Director of Human Resources Consulting; and
      2. "volunteer" means any individual who, without compensation, assists in the school or helps students during a school-related activity, including a field trip, either in groups or on a one-on-one basis, and includes a volunteer driver that transports students, but does not include a guest speaker, a guest presenter, a visitor to the school, a parent assisting his/her own child, a post-secondary institution practicum student, a school council member or member of a parent fundraising group acting solely in either capacity, nor any Division student or employee.
   2. Principals are responsible for volunteers in their schools and are responsible for ensuring that volunteers work under the direction or supervision of Division staff.
      
      
   3. Effective September 1, 2007, all volunteers in Division schools shall submit to the principal, each school year, a Division Volunteer Registration Form.
      
      
   4. Effective September 1, 2007, all volunteer coaches, volunteer chaperones of overnight field trips, and volunteer drivers that transport students shall submit an application for a police records check in accordance with this Regulation.
      
      
   5. The nature and date of any charges or convictions revealed in a police report shall be considered relative to the current date and the individual's responsibilities as a volunteer.
      
      
   6. Principals are responsible for informing volunteer coaches, chaperones of overnight field trips, and drivers that transport students of the requirement for police records check results prior to performing these volunteer duties.
      
      
   7. Where exceptional circumstances prevail, a principal may waive the requirements of this regulation and shall, as soon as practicable, inform the Superintendent of Schools, in writing, of this action.
      
      
   8. At the discretion of the Superintendent of Schools, any volunteer may be required to undergo a police records check.
      
      
   9. Costs associated with securing required police records checks shall be the responsibility of the Division.
2. REQUIREMENTS FOR VOLUNTEER COACHES, CHAPERONES OF OVERNIGHT FIELD TRIPS, AND DRIVERS
   1. Each volunteer coach, volunteer chaperone of an overnight field trip, and volunteer driver that transports students shall, within a time period sufficient to ensure the submission of results prior to engaging in such volunteer activity, and every year thereafter if engaged in the same volunteer activity, submit an application for a Police Information Check or an original Police Information Check indicating no charges or convictions and dated within the past six months.
      
      
   2. If the result of a Police Information Check discloses charges or convictions, the volunteer shall submit, to the Director, an original of the volunteer's Police Information Certificate.
      
      
   3. If a volunteer specified in B.l fails to submit the documentation specified in section B.1 or B.2 prior to engaging in the volunteer activity, or if the contents of the volunteer's Police Information Certificate are considered by the Director to be incompatible with volunteering with the Division, the volunteer shall not be allowed to volunteer.
3. COLLECTION, USE, AND STORAGE OF INFORMATION
   1. Volunteer Registration forms shall be retained by the school for the current and subsequent school year.
      
      
   2. The collection and use of personal information related to a required police records check shall be for the stated purpose of determining the suitability of an individual to volunteer for a school as a coach, chaperone of an overnight field trip or driver that transports students, and will be in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act of Alberta.
      
      
   3. All police records check documents shall be securely stored within Human Resources and retained indefinitely, and the results shall be recorded, stored, and retained electronically by Human Resources.

References