FAQ’s

Put simply, the key benefits of employment screening are an improved quality of hire and workplace safety, and a decrease in negligent hiring and employee turnover. Statistics show that candidates regularly lie about or misrepresent their qualifications, education and experience on resumes or in interviews. This could range from a simple embellishment of the truth, to actively concealing a criminal or financially questionable history.

ProbityPeople offers a complete employment screening solution for Australian businesses that includes police checks, financial checks, reference checks, education and qualification checks and eligibility to work checks. To find our more, call us on 1300 333 246 or email enquiries@probitypeople.com.au

The penalties for employing illegal workers are significant, and may include sizeable fines, civil penalties imposed by the courts, barring from any future sponsorships, enforceable undertaking, imprisonment and being added to the Register of Sanctioned Sponsors. More information can be found on the Australian Border Force and Department of Home Affairs websites.

Background screening is not reserved for new hires only. After the pre-employment screening check which we recommend for all new hires, your organisation may wish, or may be required by legislation, to conduct annual, two-yearly or other periodic checks.

ProbityPeople is scalable, allowing you to upload details and order background checks for up to 5,000 individuals at any one time. Automated reminders can be set as a reminder to renew background checks consistent with your company policy. Employees will stay up to date with their periodic background checks. All results will be securely stored in your personalised portal so you can access them at any time.

Every industry has its own workforce compliance requirements, but at a minimum, we recommend employers check employment and criminal history and verify education and qualifications.

ProbityPeople offers a comprehensive, end to end screening solution that caters to the specialised requirements of every industry. Our consultants will work with you to design a suite of background screening checks that you can implement as part of your employee onboarding and post-recruitment process. Contact us on 1300 333 246 or email enquiries@probitypeople.com.au

Police checks go back 10 years.

Legislation exists in all Australian States and Territories as well as the Commonwealth limiting the disclosure of certain older offences once a period of time passes during which a person has committed no further offences. This period is known as the 'waiting period' or 'crime-free period' and is generally 10 years where a person was dealt with as an adult and 5 years otherwise (3 years in NSW). This legislation is commonly referred to as 'spent convictions' legislation.

If a person re-offends during the waiting period, the waiting period starts again (ie a person has to have a clear period of 10 years, or 5 years where the person was not dealt with as an adult, before older offences can be considered to be spent).

Financial checks generally go back 7 years.

Reference, Education and Qualification Checks will go back as far as an employer requires.

Candidate/employee information remains on your portal until you choose to delete it. The only exceptions are results and details from National Police Checks and Volunteer National Police Checks. Information relating to these checks will be automatically and permanently erased after 12 months.

The maximum number of users per account is 10. If you require more than 10 users to access your portal, the limit can be increased on request.

Background screening costs vary depending on how comprehensive the report is and how many reports are requested.

Unlike other providers, with ProbityPeople you pay only for the checks you order. There are no lock-in contracts or monthly subscription fees and we offer a choice of billing options.

The ProbityPeople Solution has been designed specifically for employment screening. It delivers a simple, fast and actionable solution for companies of every size, while removing common roadblocks such as large costs, time-intensive processes and internal resourcing limitations.

Our directors have a deep knowledge of the Australian business, recruitment and employment landscape which is why you can trust us to deliver the complete screening solution for your business. Our dedicated team of consultants work tirelessly behind the scenes to process and manage your screening solutions in real time from our Sydney office. They are also available to discuss your specific requirements and guide you through the process if you need assistance.

ProbityPeople’s technology has been developed in Australia and your data is safely stored on Australian servers. It is purpose-built, innovative and responsive, putting you in complete control so you can order, track, manage and review all your background checks from one secure portal.

ProbityPeople is totally flexible to meet your business requirements. You pay only for the checks you order. There are no lock-in contracts or monthly subscription fees and we offer a choice of billing options.

Your candidate will receive an invitation link to complete the checks you have requested by email which is activated when you confirm your check order for that individual. If the individual has clicked through the link, created their account and commenced but cannot complete the checks, they will be able to save and exit without losing information. There are measures in place that prevent them from creating duplicate checks.

If your candidate chooses to complete the same checks separately for their own purposes at their own cost, they will be able to do so by accessing and ordering through their personal portal. You will not receive the results of these personally requested checks.

The accuracy of the results is subject to the accuracy of the information supplied by the applicant. ProbityPeople takes every possible care when conducting a background check in order to maximise the accuracy and quality of results.

No. ProbityPeople will automatically send your candidate an email inviting them to complete the requested checks and will then send them reminder emails until the application is completed. We will also provide guidance and answer any questions they may have.

As the Employer, you will be required to create an account on ProbityPeople. This gives you access to a secure online portal where you can manage, track and view candidate results. From your dashboard you can request and manage checks for one or multiple employees.

If you already have an account, you can simply log in to your secure portal and order checks from your dashboard.

ProbityPeople is partnered with the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) as a Stay Smart Online Partner.

You can review the progress of all your requested checks from the dashboard on your secure online portal.

Yes. The ProbityPeople employment screening solution is 100% online and available to individuals for a range of checks. Once you create your account you will have access to your own secure portal where you can submit, manage and track the progress of your online checks. Results are returned to you via your portal to ensure they remain confidential. You will also be supported by our team of consultants who are only a phone call away if you need assistance.

By creating an account with ProbityPeople, all your employment screening checks can be ordered, managed and stored in one easy to access, secure location.

You can set alerts for periodic check renewals if you are required to keep up to date with your own workforce compliance.

ProbityPeople is accredited by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) as a Stay Smart Online Partner.

If an account exists with the same email address, you will be notified when trying to create a new account. You can then reset your password if you do not remember this to access your account.

You can see the check/s that you have been invited to complete in both the email invitation or on the dashboard of your portal.

If you were invited by an organisation to complete background screening checks through ProbityPeople, you would have received a Payment Code in the invitation e-mail. This is a 9-character phrase consisting of capital letters and numbers. To pay for your check with the Payment Code, please select ‘Redeem Payment Code’ on the payment page and then paste the Payment Code code into the field.

You can review the progress of all your requested checks from the dashboard on your secure online portal.

If you have been invited to complete a check by an organisation, the results will be shared with the organisation automatically.

If you are an individual completing background checks for your own purpose, then you can download the certificate/results to share with your prospective employer by your own secure means. Instructions on verifying the authenticity of certificates/results are displayed on the certificate/results itself.

National Police Check results can be viewed when you click into each check name on your dashboard.

All other check results are automatically shared with the organisation who invited you to complete a background screening check. This is shared with them via their secure online business portal. To obtain a copy of the results, you can request this directly with the organisation.

If you were not invited by an organisation and are completing the checks for your own purposes, then you will see all check results when you click into each check name on your application dashboard.

To upload additional identity documents, click on ‘Resume Application’ on your dashboard. You will be brought to the document upload page. On this page, you will be able to see the list of documents in each of the categories. Please ensure you have uploaded clear and legible identity documents and self-captured photo.

You can reset your password from the login page by simply clicking ‘Reset your account password’ and following the instructions.

You cannot make any changes to the information you have provided once you have submitted. We encourage you to double check your information before submission.

Once you have submitted your application there is no way of changing it. Therefore, it is important that you read over your answers before submitting your check.

You will receive an invitation link to complete the checks requested by the employer by email. If you click through the link, create your account and commence but cannot complete the checks, you will be able to save and exit without losing information. There are measures in place that prevent you from creating duplicate checks.

If you complete the same checks separately for you own purposes, you will be able to do so by accessing and ordering through your personal portal.

A National Police Check provides information on an individual’s disclosable court outcomes and pending charges sourced from the databases of all Australian police jurisdictions, subject to relevant spent convictions / non-disclosure legislation and / or information release policies. An NPC may be used to help screen and make informed decisions about individuals within the Australian community for many reasons, including but not limited to:

• recruitment and job applications
• volunteer and not-for-profit positions
• working with children or vulnerable groups
• licensing or registration schemes applications
• work-related checks due to legislation or regulations
• Australian permanent residence and citizenship
• visa applications for some countries
• employment overseas

From 1 July 2018 the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) changed the name of Police Checks. When you request a Police Check the result document you receive will be titled Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check.

There is no difference between a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check and a National Police Check. Since July 2018, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the government body that regulates police checks, has decided that the formal name for the check should be Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check, but the information produced in the check has not changed.

A National Police Check and an Australian Federal Police Check differ in their uses. In most instances, such as for employment purposes, you will only need to obtain a National Police Check.

In special circumstances, such as for immigration or visa related purposes, an Australian Federal Police Check is required.

The AFP National Police Check can only be conducted for:

• residents of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Jervis Bay Territory and external Commonwealth territories
• people seeking employment with the Commonwealth Government
• people requiring a check under Commonwealth legislation
• Australian immigration purposes
• where the applicant resides overseas
• overseas employment
• overseas adoption
• visa applications for overseas travel

If you do not meet these criteria, you will need to complete the National Police Check.

The ACIC recognises that many organisations contribute to community through not-for-profit, charitable or volunteer services. The Volunteer National Police Check (VNPC) type is intended for applicants seeking to uptake a genuine volunteer position.

A VNPC can be requested if the applicant:

• will freely hold the position or perform the role on a voluntary basis for the common good
• will not be an employee or contractor and will not be entitled to a salary or any other entitlements associated with the position or role, other than payment of out-of-pocket expenses, or
• is a student undertaking a compulsory unpaid vocational placement as part of a training course requirement of an Australian-based educational institution

An applicant should be able to provide evidence about the role they are applying for to ensure that they are entitled to a VNPC. A VNPC cannot be submitted for applicants applying for the Australian Government’s Work for the Dole Scheme.

• Businesses looking to hire new staff
• Recruitment Agencies
• Companies that have existing staff that deal with sensitive and confidential information
• Individuals needing to meet employment or security requirements

An applicant must be at least 16 years of age. Anyone under the age of 18 will need signed consent from a parent, guardian or legal representative.

Apart from certain and limited circumstances, a check can only be conducted with the consent of the applicant. When completing an application, applicants must:

• read and understand how their personal information and related police information will be handled and disclosed
• permit an accredited agency or police agency to submit a check on their behalf
• if applicable, permit their potential employer to use their check result to assess their suitability for employment
• provide their informed consent. In doing so, they are consenting to the specific purpose of a check. If the applicant requires a check for a different purpose, they must provide their informed consent again.

Under certain and limited circumstances, a check can be conducted without consent for law enforcement, immigration and administration of justice purposes.

A National Police Check will detail any disclosable court outcomes or pending charges incurred across all Australian police jurisdictions. Disclosable Court Outcomes means the record of court convictions and findings of guilt, to which provisions of relevant spent convictions/non-disclosure legislation and/or information release policies have been applied. The type and amount of information that is released will depend upon the category and purpose of the check, as well as the jurisdiction where convictions are recorded (and vetted). Spent convictions legislation or information release policies will be applied to this process by vetting police agencies. The result of a National Police Check will either be:

• No Disclosable Court Outcomes (NDCO) – means that there is no police history information that is held or that can be released
• Disclosable Court Outcomes (DCO) – Existing records that can be released to the submitting organisation. This may include:
  
  • Any conviction sentenced in court
  • Details pertaining to the court, date and location related to the conviction
  • Good behaviour bonds
  • Traffic convictions
  • Charges not yet convicted in court
  • Findings of guilt by a court

A Volunteer National Police Check lists any disclosable court outcomes or pending charges across all Australian police jurisdictions, subject to relevant spent convictions/non-disclosure legislation and/or information release policies.

The type and amount of information that is released will depend upon the category and purpose of the check, as well as the jurisdiction where convictions are recorded (and vetted). Spent convictions legislation or information release policies will be applied to this process by vetting police agencies.

The result of your check will either be:

• No Disclosable Court Outcomes (NDCO) – meaning there is no police history information that is held or that can be released
• Disclosable Court Outcomes (DCO) – meaning police history information exists that can be released to the submitting organisation. This may include:
• charges
• court convictions, including any penalty or sentence
• findings of guilt with no conviction
• court appearances
• good behaviour bonds or other court orders
• pending matters awaiting court hearing
• traffic history

The following people may have access to an applicant’s personal information and check result:

• authorised police staff involved in the check assessment process
• authorised ACIC staff to support accredited bodies and police agencies when processing the check
• authorised staff of the accredited agency or police agency that requests the check and receives the result
• accredited agency’s customer organisations (Legal Entity Customers)
• a third-party organisation, either with the applicant’s informed consent, identified on the application form, or through relevant legislation

National Police Checks conducted through ProbityPeople are accepted throughout Australia.

A National Police Check will contain all releasable court outcomes from every state and territory of Australia.

ProbityPeople, police agencies and the ACIC work together to deliver the National Police Check service, aiming to process 95% of checks within 10 business days, noting that:

• around 70% of checks are completed in real-time with results being returned within minutes
• around 30% of checks are referred to one or more police agencies because a ‘potential match’ is found. On limited occasions, this process can take longer than 10 business days to process, due to the complexity of the check

A ‘potential match’ may be found if the applicant shares similar details with other individuals recorded in police systems, particularly if they have a common name. Processing of a check in these instances can take longer to progress.

No. An NPC is not suitable for reuse for multiple purposes. For example, a check conducted for the purpose of becoming a volunteer netball coach cannot be used later to apply for a job as an administration officer. This is because the purpose identified on the check application may be used to determine what (if any) police information is released, based on the various state and territory spent convictions legislation and information release policies that apply.

Additionally, an NPC is considered a ‘point in time’ check. This means an applicant can receive a no disclosable court outcome (NDCO) result one day, and then be charged or convicted of a crime the following day. Charges or convictions that occur after the check result has been issued are not captured on the applicant’s existing check, deeming the result unsuitable for reuse.

No, you will need an Australian Federal Police (AFP) check for Visa and Immigration purposes.

Yes. A certificate will be sent via email upon completion of the check. You can also access your certificate via your user portal on the ProbityPeople website.

ProbityPeople will retain police history information for 12 months. As an Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) requirement, all police history information is destroyed after 12 months. You can obtain a copy of your National Police Check results within 12 months of issue. After this period, a new National Police Check application will be required.

When your check is submitted to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), your name, date of birth and gender are checked against a central database of names to find potential matches with people who have police history information.

If you have a common name (for example Michael Smith or Amandeep Singh), or your name is similar to someone that has police history information, your application will be manually reviewed by the police for further investigation. The relevant police agency will then manually process your check to determine if your details are a match or not.

Referred is when your police check is submitted and has been flagged for further review, before the check can be finalised. This usually happens when your information may be a match against someone on the database with a similar name, date of birth and/ or gender. When this match occurs then there needs to be a manual review of the application by the relevant police agencies, to resolve the match and provide the overall outcome.

If an applicant believes the result of their National Police Check is incorrect, they should contact ProbityPeople on 1300 333 246 or email enquiries@probitypeople.com.au.

We will need to discuss in detail the reason for the dispute and you should provide us with as much information as possible to assist in the investigation of your dispute. This will be investigated by the relevant police agency and we will notify you when an outcome is reached.

You need to contact ProbityPeople on 1300 333 246 or email enquiries@probitypeople.com.au outlining the reasons for the dispute. You will be asked to provide documentation to support your claim.
ProbityPeople will lodge the dispute for further investigation. Further information may be requested to support the investigation.
Once the dispute has been concluded, ProbityPeople will advise the individual of the outcome.
A successful dispute outcome means that the dispute has been successful and the check result will be amended.
An unsuccessful dispute outcome means the dispute has been unsuccessful and the result will remain the same. The individual may challenge this outcome and additional documentation may be collected to support the challenge.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) is Australia's national criminal intelligence agency. They work with our state and territory, national and international partners on investigations and to collect intelligence to improve the national ability to respond to crime impacting Australia.

The ACIC works with Australian police agencies to deliver the National Police Checking Service (NPCS). The Service allows people to apply for a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (previously known as a police check).

The ACIC accredits organisations who submit a significant volume of checks to facilitate individuals’ access to their Service. These organisations are known as accredited bodies.

Once you have submitted your application there is no way of changing it. Therefore, it is important that you read over your answers before submitting your check.

If you want some inessential identifying information removed from your police check result, such as your gender, or previous names, please contact ProbityPeople on 1300 333 246 or email enquiries@probitypeople.com.au.

You cannot ask for any police information to be removed from your result.

You cannot ask for the primary name in which your result has been issued to be removed.

In addition to providing the minimum four identity documents, the applicant must also provide a self-captured photo of themselves holding their photo. This is a legal requirement by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) to ensure that the applicant presenting the identity documents is the person to which the documents relate.