Police Record Check Services

Why Police Record Checks?     Today the standard of care required of school systems for the protection of students is higher than ever.  Ontario Regulation 521/01, as amended by Regulation 322/03 requires school boards to collect police records from all employees and from service providers who have direct and regular contact with students.  Other groups such as public health, hospitals, child and social services agencies and volunteer organizations are now recognizing the critical need for the provision of police record services to protect vulnerable persons.

Who are we?     The Ontario Education Services Corporation (OESC) is a non-profit agency established in 2002 by all school boards in Ontario to provide Police Record Check services.

What do we do?     OESC provides vulnerable sector Police Record Checks using a standard consent form signed by the individual.  OESC provides these services to school boards, service providers, faculties of education, universities and colleges and various public sector community, social, health and human services agencies, including churches and hospitals.

OESC has a contract with an Ontario Police Service to conduct searches of the CPIC (Canadian Police Information Centre) data-bases and to obtain Police Record Check reports on individuals.

OESC adjudicates the police records of individuals using a comprehensive procedure which stresses fairness and protection of individual privacy.  OESC is scrupulous about protecting the privacy of individuals.  Information regarding a police record is only revealed to the individual – never to third parties. Individuals are treated with the utmost respect and sensitivity during the adjudication process.

Individuals with police records are adjudicated to the standard: “this individual, based on his or her police record and further information obtained during the adjudication process, represents an acceptable/unacceptable risk to the safety of students or other vulnerable persons”.

Adjudication standards are maintained at the highest level.  In every circumstance sufficient information is collected to satisfy the adjudicators that the individual either does or does not represent an acceptable risk. Adjudicators are experienced senior administrators in school boards and have received specialized training in adjudication procedures.

Individuals who meet this standard are issued a unique plastic-coated OESC Identification Card which they must carry with them and show to appropriate authorities when requested, together with a valid piece of government issued photo identification.

These OESC Identification Cards are accepted by all school boards in Ontario as proof that the individual has submitted a Police Record Check and that it has been adjudicated to the consistent standard described above.

The OESC Identification Cards are also accepted by many community, social, health and human services agencies, including hospitals and churches.

OESC Identification Cards are issued with specific issue and expiry dates.

What are the costs of OESC’s services?     OESC operates on a non-profit, break-even basis.  The costs of its services cover only the costs of obtaining the police records of individuals, maintaining a data-base, administering the process, adjudicating individual police records and issuing unique plastic-coated OESC Identification cards. Organizations find that OESC’s services are full value for money.