It continues to frighten me when I hear or read about how many children are being raped, murdered, abused or neglected in our country. Sadly it seems that in so many cases it is by people who have been hired to care for these children, in one form or another.
I recently read another article (http://ewn.co.za/2017/05/29/mkhize-sa-democracy-will-remain-under-threat-if-children-aren-t-free) which raised some interesting points. The article makes the suggestion that if we do not look after our children, the democracy our country has fought so hard for, is at severe risk, and is under threat.
These types of possibilities do terrify me, but sadly many people do not know where to even start looking in terms of sourcing pertinent information on potential candidates who will be caring for, or responsible for, children of various ages. iFacts knows how this process works, as well as what type of information you should be looking for. Importantly, iFacts is able to make this process as smooth as possible.
Schools are required to check the Sexual Offenders Register before employing an individual to work at that school. While this data is publically available, accessing it is certainly a massive challenge. Obviously, one needs the consent of the candidate in order to access this information. In theory, the results should be available within 21 days. This long timeframe might sound a little bit crazy, especially considering the corporate world in which our clients are chomping at the bit if results are not available in 48 hours! iFacts has found that the average time it takes to receive information from either of the two departments that manage the Sexual Offenders Register (namely the Department of Justice and the Department of Social Development) is 3 to 4 months. Unfortunately, there is no rushing the process. It should also be noted that this information is not available electronically.
The challenge we face as employers is that once we have received this information, and even if it does indicate that there are no offences on record for that individual, this is no guarantee that the person is not malicious by nature. The documents merely confirm that they have not been convicted in the past. Sadly, employers can no longer take an application for employment at face value. I strongly encourage you to please put in place an effective plan to vet anybody who will be caring for or looking after your loved ones, particularly your children.