Police Checks for Employment and Volunteers

Trust in an Un-trusting World?

National Police History Checks are now frequently being requested in employment and volunteer situations in order to assess a person's background to see if they have any criminal history which is relevant to the position that they wish to undertake and which the employing company or volunteer organisation might feel excludes them from consideration for the role.

However, police checks can be useful in a variety of different situations to ensure that the person one is placing their trust in is worthy of that trust. One such perhaps unusual or atypical use of a police check is to assess potential house-sitters. 

Trusting a Stranger

Instead of putting pets in a kennel and/or leaving a house empty and unattended for extended periods of time, many people will seek out someone who can come and stay in their house while they are away on vacation or business. This person will take over the duties of feeding and caring for any animals, look after the house to avoid potential maintenance problems that may occur while the homeowner is away and ensure the house remains occupied to avoid possible break-ins or other dangers that may befall an empty house.

However, a homeowner takes a risk in letting someone they don't know live in their house and take care of their beloved pets. Requesting a police check from those that they may choose to stay in their house can give them added peace of mind in placing their trust in this individual and can also ensure that they turn away individuals who may be dangerous to entrust with their home and pets.

Requesting a Police Check from Strangers

For those unfamiliar with the process of requesting a police check from others, the prospect can be daunting. They may feel they are tacitly accusing people of having a criminal past, just by requesting that they provide a police check before considering them for the role of house-sitter. However, they should not feel shy about ensuring the safety of their pets and their home.

If approached in a business-like manner, explaining that they would or do request all potential house-sitters to provide a police check and the importance to them of making sure that their house and animals will be in safe hands while they are away, the potential house-sitter should take little offence to this requirement. If they do seem to take offence or refuse to provide a police check, this could be a 'red flag' for the homeowner. Anyone who cannot understand why a homeowner would ask for a police check should probably not be a house-sitter.

Assessing a Person's History

When receiving a police check from a potential house-sitter, a homeowner may be pleased and satisfied to learn that the person they wish to house-sit has no criminal history or they may be dismayed to find that they do. Obviously, the decision is easier if the individual does not have a criminal record. However, a homeowner should think about how willing they are to consider those people that do have a criminal record.

All offences might seen as relevant by a homeowner, even if minor. Petty theft, while perhaps of little importance in an employment or volunteer position depending on the role, may be quite important to a homeowner who is thinking about allowing an individual to stay in their home with their possessions. A homeowner should consider having a discussion with those individuals who they wish to have house-sit for them but who possess a negative criminal record. They may find they feel comfortable choosing the person if they understand the history of the offence(s) and feel the individual will not commit these offences while staying in their home.

A homeowner may be willing to consider an individual who has a criminal history as long as the offences they committed are minor and sufficiently old, but care must be taken before they do. Overall, a police check can be an invaluable tool for homeowners seeking a house-sitter.