Police Record Checks – Important Information

A SPECIAL NOTE TO ALL HSR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MEMBERS

UPDATED April 2014 – Most of us remember the days at HSR when we didn’t need to fret too much about having a six-pack tethered to the dock beside the 9.9’s, giving fun with fire and aerosol physics lessons or sending composite SIT’s off with chainsaws and vague instructions to increase the rainfall in the POK cabins. Well, those days are gone, and it’s probably just as well.

As a volunteer organization committed to ensuring the provision of a safe, fun environment for children and youth, Scouts Canada has a duty to demonstrate that it is doing everything it can to identify and minimize risks. Part of this process is screening adults for any past behaviour that might be seen as a risk, and accounting for who is on Scouts Canada property at all times.

If you are currently a volunteer member of Scouts Canada, you will already be familiar with the Police Reference Check, now a requirement for all of its volunteers. Your Membership Profile implies a clean PRC, so a copy of that is sufficient, but you must have it with you. For more information see the instructions below on this page.

For those who are not current members of Scouts Canada, please follow the process outlined below for getting an acceptable PRC. If you do not have a physical print out of your clean PRC or your Scouts Membership Profile, you will not be permitted to stay at the camp. If you are just coming up for a couple of hours, you won’t be asked to produce proof of a PRC, but you must still notify the camp that you are there.

Scouts Canada and the staff of the Haliburton Scout Reserve want to continue to welcome staff alumni, whether as volunteers or just visitors. These requirements are NOT intended to discourage HSR Staff Alumni members from visiting. They are simply a way to ensure that we are subject to the same standards that any other visitor to the camp would be.

These requirements apply to adults 18 and over. Children are welcome and are of course the responsibility of their parents. We also remind you of the strict no alcohol/illicit drugs, no pets rule at HSR.

Please note that a Police Reference Check is NOT the same thing as a Clearance Letter. A PRC is a more comprehensive process that requires your agreement to disclose certain kinds of information. To meet Scouts Canada’s PRC requirements, the check must be done through the process outlined below or provide an original PRC. Note: Greater Toronto Council regrets that they cannot accept a verification that a third part organization (e.g. school board, professional association) may hold a clean PRC, but must see the actual PRC. The PRC must also include the “Vulnerable Sector Search”.

NEW FASTER OUTLINE PROCESS FOR PRC’S!
The advantage of this method of applying for a Police Check is that it can be done from your own home on your computer. As well, you can ask that your Police Check be shared with other registered organizations.

MyBackCheck.com has worked with major corporations and has over 1,000,000 clients. The Scouts Canada British Columbia Council piloted this project in 2008 and the process was approved by the National Council at its Annual General Meeting in November 2008.

1. Go on-line to http://backcheck.net/scoutscanada/ and follow the steps as outlined by MyBackCheck.com. More than one person cannot use the same email address. Please note: Hotmail accounts tend to treat emails from MyBackcheck as spam. When choosing your council, do not choose Scouts Canada Headquarters or National. Your local council will not receive the police check if you choose this. If you live in Toronto choose Greater Toronto Council; if you live in Peel, Greater Halton, Caledon, Burlington, Kitchener, etc. then choose Central Escarpment Council. If you live north of Toronto in York, South Simcoe, etc. (as far north as Burk’s Falls) or in Orangeville or northwest of there please choose Shining Waters Council. So long as you choose one of those three councils we will receive the results.
2. Please note that this is a two-part process. Once you complete the initial application you will receive a confirmation email from MyBackCheck.com which will request that you log back into the profile you created and complete a questionnaire. You will be requested to pay at this time. You can now complete the ID verification online. If you do not wish to have your ID verified online, you can now have your ID verified at any post office in Canada free of charge by printing off the Canada Post ID verification from the MyBackCheck website after accepting the invitation (self invited) and creating the profile. Canada Post’s secure fax transmission will transfer the data to MyBackCheck for processing in one day.
3. Method of payment will be requested on-line (by VISA or MasterCard).  Note: If you go directly to MyBackCheck.com and not through the website link listed above you will pay a higher fee.
4. You will be notified when the PRC is ready, and  be able to log into MyBackCheck.com to print out the PRC. The completed Police Record Check will be shared automatically with Scouts Canada.

Please note that if you have already obtained a PRC using the above process and your three-year limit is approaching, you may simply log in to your existing MyBackCheck account to renew. As the renewal date approaches, you may notice an “invitation” from Scouts Canada in your account’s mailbox. The renewal process is much simpler and for the time being costs $20.00. Results are typically communicated within one day.

PRC’s are acceptable to Scouts Canada for three years.