INFORMATION BULLETIN

2010PSSG0101-001531 Dec. 6, 2010

Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General

 

NEW LAWS ENSURE SAFETY OF VULNERABLE ADULTS

 

VICTORIA – Amendments to B.C’s Criminal Records Review Act, making B.C. the first province in Canada to require a thorough investigation of individuals working with vulnerable adults, begins its 12-month, phased-in implementation across the province Jan. 1, 2011.

 

The change made to the act, which was passed last November, will ensure individuals that depend on others for ongoing assistance with daily living or who are at risk of being abused or exploited because of their age, frailty or mental or physical disability are protected by those employed to provide their care and support. Among the specific offences included in the amendment to the act are convictions of forgery, fraud, intimidation, counselling suicide and criminal breach of trust.

 

B.C.'s criminal records review program will require all current and future employees working with the estimated 236,000 vulnerable adults using government-regulated or funded programs and facilities undergo a pre-employment criminal record review.

 

As well, a re-evaluation will be conducted every five years. Practicum students from post secondary institutions and members of professional occupations governed by a college will also be required to have a full criminal records review.

 

The amendments will cover facilities regulated under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act as well as private hospitals and extended care facilities regulated under the Hospital Act, and home support agencies and adult day programs.

 

The current fee of $20 charged for criminal record reviews on those that work with children will remain the same for those working with vulnerable adults.

 

British Columbia is already the only province in Canada with a comprehensive program to require criminal records reviews of people applying for jobs with unsupervised access to children. On average, 75,000 criminal record reviews are done for people seeking to work with children.

 

Estimates indicate that with the new provisions, about 15,000 more reviews will be done to include people who work with vulnerable adults, for a total of about 90,000 checks annually.

 

 

For more information on the Criminal Records Review Program, visit http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/criminal-records-review on the Internet.

 

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Media Contact:

Media Relations Public Safety and Solicitor General 250 356-6961

 

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