Criminal Record Checks – Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS)

2 min. readlast update: 10.18.2023

 

What is a VSS/VSC/VSV?

A VSS allows a review of the RCMP’s pardoned or record suspended data bank within their repositories by a police service.   This separated data bank lists those individuals residing in Canada, who have been convicted of a sexual offence, been tried and convicted, served their entire sentence and any parole/probation, waited the mandatory ten years of good behaviour (no other charges or documented immoral behavior) and then applied to the Canadian government for a record suspension (the modernized term for a pardon). Once applied for, government approval, if granted, may take 8-18 months. 

What are the limitations of a VSS/VSC/VSV?

As per information provided by our screening partner, the youngest possible age that a person in this data bank can be is 25 years old. Currently, however, the youngest person recorded in the data bank was born Feb 18, 1986 (aged 35 in 2021).

Pedalheads Protocols:

As part of our comprehensive hiring policy, every Pedalheads camp staff member in the US and Canada aged 18 and over is required to undergo a Criminal Record Check. In Canada there is also the option of requiring an applicant to perform a VSS. Given the age demographics of our summer camp staff and the limitations associated with a VSS, these checks have limited applicability in our operations. The very small number of Pedalheads camp staff over the age of 34 will be asked to go through the VSS process in their jurisdiction. Based on the advice of our screening partner, applicants under the age of 34 are currently not required to supply a VSS result to us.

If you are interested in learning more about VSS and it’s applicability, please refer to these expert resources:

https://www.sterlingbackcheck.ca/services/vulnerable-sector-checks/

https://www.screeningcanada.ca/blog/vulnerable-sector-checks-explained

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