What "AccessNI-Verified" means on Tutorperch
An AccessNI-Verified badge on a tutor's profile indicates that a member of our team has:
- Received the tutor's current AccessNI Enhanced Disclosure (digital, via NIDA)
- Confirmed the certificate is clear (no relevant criminal-record content disclosed)
- Confirmed the certificate is dated within the last three years
- Confirmed the name on the certificate matches the tutor's identity-verified name
After the review, Tutorperch records the certificate reference, name, date of birth, issue date, and clear status. Tutorperch does not retain a copy of the certificate.
How it relates to identity verification
Every published tutor on Tutorperch has already passed an identity check before any safeguarding certificate can be submitted. At AccessNI review time, the name on the certificate is cross-referenced against the identity-verified name. A mismatch halts the submission. The two layers together prevent a stolen certificate reference from being used alongside a fraudulent profile.
Why AccessNI rather than DBS
Northern Ireland's criminal-record disclosure regime is separate from that of England and Wales. AccessNI is operated by the NI Department of Justice under the Police Act 1997 framework. DBS and AccessNI are different services drawing on different police records under different legal frameworks. Tutorperch accepts whichever scheme is appropriate to the tutor's location, with the verified badge labelled per scheme so parents can see at a glance which check applied.
How verification works
Since 1 September 2025, AccessNI issues only digital certificates. The tutor shares theirs with Tutorperch via their NIDA AccessNI dashboard, and a member of our team reads the certificate online. Tutorperch does not download or retain the certificate. Printed copies of digital AccessNI certificates are explicitly invalid (they carry a "Not valid if printed" watermark), so the only valid view is the live shared record. Because sharing requires a NIDA-LOA2-verified account, the certificate viewed at review time is the live record at AccessNI's end and is tied to the tutor's verified identity.
About the live status check
Per AccessNI guidance, "AccessNI disclosure certificates are only accurate on the issue date." There is no Update Service equivalent, and no marketplace-side API or portal to re-check the same certificate later. The three-year refresh cycle is what compensates: a verified AccessNI tutor renews with us by re-sharing a current certificate before their badge lapses. This is consistent with the NI Executive's recent policy of three-year rechecks across the sector.
What the badge does not replace
An AccessNI certificate is a snapshot at the issue date. Even a clean certificate today confirms only what was on PSNI and Police National Computer records up to that point. For child tutoring specifically, parental due diligence remains appropriate:
- Meet first before booking ongoing lessons, in person if local or by video call if online.
- Ask the tutor to share their current AccessNI certificate with you directly via the same NIDA flow. It is a normal request and most tutors will comply.
- Ask for references, run a trial lesson, and supervise early sessions where possible.
Renewals
Three years after we approved a tutor's AccessNI Disclosure, the badge expires and the tutor shares a fresh certificate with us. The badge drops from the profile automatically if re-verification is not completed in time.