With the volume of volunteers coming through our gates, which continues to rise, and our commitment to helping the communities of Mae Yao and further afield, The Mirror Foundation requests that all volunteers submit a national Criminal Record check*, applied through the relevant national police service or government department.
We do not accept applications from those with unspent convictions relating to drugs, violent behaviour, or sexual related offences. Click below for details.
We want to ensure the children and vulnerable adults connected with our programmes are as safe as reasonably possible. This does not mean that anyone with a criminal conviction is ruled out of joining us - a parking ticket, or speeding fine is obviously not indicative of what we are worried about, so do not necessarily be put off from enquiring. Criminal Record checks are one method to filter out undesirables trying to use our programmes for their own purposes. Whilst this is not foolproof, it certainly helps.
We hope that volunteers will understand the necessity for these checks. Working with the children and vulnerable adults at our foundation, and the surrounding schools and villages, is a great responsibility - both for you as volunteers, and us as the organisation which you have applied to join.
Criteria
- We will not accept anyone who has an conviction relating to drugs, theft, violence, or sexual related offences.
- We need to be informed of any/all other convictions or cautions on a criminal record. For things like speeding, other driving offences etc, we're more flexible, but would still want to be notified so we can make an informed decision.
- Many people are surprised that cautions are on their records as well - we should be informed in detail, before arrival, of any caution on a records check.
- We accept volunteers on a basis of trust - failure to disclose any of the above destroys that trust, and will result in removal from the programme
Where to apply from?
Because checks vary in name and procedure, from country to country, it is very difficult for us to give details which cover every volunteer. However, whichever country you are living in, the check, in some form, should be available. While we cannot give you details for every country that our volunteers hail from, we do have information about the top four - USA, Canada, UK, and Australia. If in doubt, or you have questions, please email for advice.
If you wish to join any of our programmes, you must submit a national Criminal Record check.
Acceptable checks
- UK: Basic Disclosure (or Standard, or Enhanced Disclosure)
- USA: FBI Criminal Background check
- If you have NO criminal record (including cautions or anything else), we will accept a certificate from SentryLink (FBI channeller)
- note - if the SentryLink document is not 'clean', then you must supply a check direct from the FBI.
- Canada: Certified Criminal Record check
- Australia: National Police check
- China: Public Security Bureau, with a notarised document in English
- Hong Kong: There is no police check available in Hong Kong, so we accept the following:
- Two (2) letters of reference - each letter needs to be from an employer, Uni Head of Dept, or someone similar. If unemployed, then a reference letter from your doctor or simliar. We do not accept references from family members.†
- Other countries: Consult your nearest police station, or govt website, for more information.
†This option only applies to Hong Kong residents - all other nationalities must provide the required police check.
Contact for decision
- Checks made for current employment - some occupations require these checks to be made on a regular basis, and we may consent to accepting these if they are current, valid, and verifiable. The check must be valid, and valid when you are due to join us. This is not a guarantee that we will waive the need for you to provide a police background check.
- A current national check which doesn't fail into the above criteria, but which you feel is valid.
If you think your check falls into one of these categories, or you need to clarify whether your check is acceptable, please contact us as soon as you can.
How to send it
- A copy of the document must be uploaded or emailed to us, at least 1 week before your start date.
- We must be able to see and read the entire document
- The check must not be older than 1 year before the actual start date
- The original document must be brought for verification
- Give yourself plenty of time to apply - it can take from a day to a couple of months, depending on the country
- Contact your nearest police station for advice, if necessary, as soon as possible
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