Garda Vetting with
Early Childhood Ireland

The GNVB number is part of the process to confirm good governance and compliance with the National Vetting Bureau (Children & Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012-2016 to ensure that only persons conducting relevant work or activities with children or vulnerable adults are legally vetted under the Act.

Please note that all members/users must have a GNVB Affiliate Registration Number even if you have been processing vetting with us in the past.

If you do not already have a Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB) Affiliate Registration Number you will need to:

1. Please email the Garda Vetting bureau at [email protected] requesting a GNVB Affiliate Registration Number and giving the following information:

• Early Childhood Ireland Membership Number / Garda Vetting User Number
• Name and address of your Early Years and/or School Age Care setting
• Main contact person
• The nature of your business e.g. Eary Year setting and/or School Age Care setting

*Multiple Settings – All settings must be registered with the vetting bureau. This process can be completed for each individual membership/user number, alternatively you can register all your settings under one membership i.e., head office (setting) / Garda Vetting User Number. Please email the Garda National Vetting Bureau with the details of your head office along with the details above for all your settings. The Garda Vetting Bureau will then post you an application form which you fill in and return to them

2. Once you have completed and sent them back the form, they will then issue you with your GNVB Affiliate Registration Number. This could take up to 6-10 weeks

3. When you receive your GNVB Affiliate Registration Number please email us with the front and back pages of the GNVB letter to [email protected]

Once you have emailed us with your GNVB Affiliate Registration Number you can then proceed to our Garda Vetting page

Take your time inputting applicants’ information as any errors will delay the Garda Vetting process.  When the steps are followed successfully, applications take approximately 8-10 working days from when the application has been successfully submitted to the National Vetting Bureau.

Please see the below outlined steps to ensure your application has been successfully submitted:

1. Email address / Date of birth – If these details are incorrect the applicant will not be able to access the link sent by the National Vetting Bureau (NVB)
2. Name – If misspelled it cannot be changed once the applicant completes the NVB link and will not be the correct name on the disclosure (completed Garda Vetting document)
3. Addresses –

• If misspelled these cannot be changed once the applicant completes the NVB link and will not be the correct name on the disclosure (completed Garda Vetting document)
• Ensure there is a street name, town or city and county, the county is required even when the Eircode is present. A postcode is required for all Northern Ireland addresses

4. Addresses Overseas – Ensure the country is included if the applicant is from overseas
5. Avoid commas, special characters, full stops, and additional spaces, when entering the information into the online form
6. NVB Link – Follow up with the applicant to ensure they have received the NVB link and that it has not gone to junk mail,

7. NVB Timeframe – Please allow up to 3 hours for the applicant to receive the link from when the application was submitted on our Early Childhood Ireland website
8. NVB Link – If the applicant cannot log in to the link sent by the NVB, then the date of birth and/or email address may be incorrect. Please email us at [email protected], we will cancel your application and request you resubmit the application
9. Date of consent must be within 6 months of the vetting invitation

**It is important to contact Early Childhood Ireland before any resubmissions, duplicates in the system will impact your applications**

How to check if your Garda Vetting application was successfully submitted:

• Did you see a ‘Thank you for submitting a Garda Vetting application’ screen when you finished submitting an application on the Early Childhood Ireland online vetting platform?
• Did you receive an email notification with a reference number for the Garda Vetting application? This will be sent within an hour of submitting your application if during business hours. If you input a Garda Vetting application at night, you will receive the email notification the following morning.

For more information, please visit our helpful FAQs on our website: Garda Vetting – FAQ – Early Childhood Ireland

The Garda National Vetting Bureau require you to keep a record of the person who verifies the identity of the vetting or re-vetting applicant. Use the Identity Document Validation Form (see below) to document this information.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all identity documentation is verified, and all information is correct before submitting a vetting application or re-vetting application to Early Childhood Ireland’s online Garda Vetting system.

Required Documents

The following documents must be available for compliance audits by the Garda National Vetting Bureau:

1. Applicants completed and signed NVB1 Form
   • Ensure the applicant fully completes and signs the printed NVB1 Vetting Invitation form and NVB1 Under 18s form.
2. Copy of Photo Identification and copy of proof of address
   • Refer to the Identity Documentation Schedule table below for acceptable forms of photo ID and proof of address
3. Identity Document Validation Form (see page 3)
   • Handwritten signatures (not electronic) are required by the registered provider/manager or authorised person who is responsible for the collection and verification of the ID documents for Garda Vetting within your setting/organisation and must be written in the presence of the vetting applicant
   • The purpose of this is to establish that the vetting applicant is the same person as the person on the identification documents
4. Completed Garda Vetting Disclosure. This document must be retained

For Applicants Under 18
In addition to the documents above, you are also required to retain a copy of the Parent Guardian Consent form

Verifying Identity

To complete the vetting or re-vetting process, the applicant must provide documentary evidence for the following:

1. Valid Photographic ID, including full name and date of birth
2. Proof of Current Address, dated within six months of the application date
   • Mobile phone bills and store card/catalogue statements are not acceptable

Important Notes:

• The name on the photo ID must match the name on the proof of address
• While no specific document is mandated, ensure that the provided documents meet the verification requirements outlined in the Identity Documentation Schedule

Identity Documentation Schedule

The Identity Documentation Schedule is a guide to assist you in verifying an applicant’s identity for Garda Vetting purposes.

Record Keeping

Early Childhood Irelands Garda Vetting process is conducted online, eliminating the need to post applications. However, the following documents must be stored securely in the employee personnel file – NVB1 form, photo ID, proof of address the Identification Verification and the printed Garda Vetting Disclosure

For more information, please visit our helpful FAQs on our website: Garda Vetting – FAQ – Early Childhood Ireland or call us on 01 4057102.

Garda Vetting is required for students under the age of 18*

*Students under the age of 16 cannot be Garda Vetted

The Early Years and School Age Care setting will need to the following documents:

1. Parent Guardian Consent Form

• The parent/guardian must complete this form
• The parent/guardian must sign and date their consent

2. Under18s Vetting- Invitation Form

• Please ensure this form is completed fully and is legible
• The parent/guardian must supply their own email address and phone number on the Vetting Invitation NVB1 Form [not the child’s email address and phone number]

3. Two Written references

Prior to the decision by the registered provider to facilitate transition year student placements, at least two references from reputable persons must be sought in writing.

• All references are to be from someone who has firsthand knowledge and experience of the student
• One reference can be from the school that the student attends
• The second reference can be from the previous employment or work experience or from any independent person in the community.
• All references must be confirmed and checked by the Early Years and School Age Care service

An important point regarding students:

• Students must not be left unsupervised with any child in an Early Years and School Age Care setting
• Students must be accompanied by a suitable qualified staff member at all times
• Students cannot supervise children in an Early Years and School Age Care setting
• Students cannot be regarded as staff or considered as part of the adult/child ratio. They cannot be treated as staff: they are supernumerary.