Fix National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) Background Check Errors
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- Fix National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) Background Check Errors
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NCSI runs background checks for schools, rec programs, and civic groups. They should always be accurate, but aren’t.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires all companies dealing with people’s personal information to use a certain level of care in handling and selling that information. This includes companies like NCSI that do background checks for schools, youth sports organizations, and other civic groups. When they don’t use care, the damage is significant.
Technology has made background checks a regular and expected part of many things we do. Background check companies can scan, scour, skim, and browse through thousands of databases with the touch of a button. Businesses and organizations with an interest in protecting their employees, tenants, participants, and reputation can engage a company called National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) for a background check.
NCSI background checks must be accurate. The potential damage to the subject of an NCSI background screen with a mistake in it can be devastating. As consumer protection attorneys eager to help those who have suffered from inaccuracies in a background check, we have seen how cataclysmic one error can be. This article provides an overview of the NCSI background screen solutions process, the NCSI background check company, and what to do if your NCSI safe background check contains an error.
The National Center for Safety Initiatives
NCSI is an organization that conducts background checks for adults who participate in and supervise activities in youth sports organizations, schools, parks and recreation departments, non-profit organizations, and other institutions. While many of its clients are, NCSI is not a non-profit organization. It operates as a for-profit entity providing screening services. Organizations pay NCSI to keep their participants safe, limit their liability, and protect their reputations. While their mission is vital, errors in their background check reports can lead to significant problems for individuals who NCSI wrongly flags.
The NCSI Background Check
Who Gets One?
Organizations request the NCSI background screening for any adult applying to or currently involved in many civic organizations, particularly those working with minors. This includes sports and park recreation coaches, referees, volunteers, and staff members. Schools and other institutions may also require these checks for their employees and volunteers to ensure a safe environment.
What IS the NCSI Background Check
NCSI background checks are comprehensive and include:
- Criminal history records
- Sex offender registry checks
- Identity verification
- Driving records
- Employment history
- Reference checks
These elements are essential for providing a complete picture of an individual’s background and determining that they are suitable to work in a sensitive environment.
Where They Look
NCSI conducts searches in various databases and sources, including:
- National criminal databases
- County and state court records
- Federal court records
- Sex offender registries
- Identity verification sources
- References provided by the applicant
- Motor vehicle administration and department of motor vehicles
This search aims to uncover or identify any potential issues that might compromise participant safety.
When You Get a NCSI Check and How Long It Will Take
The timing of an NCSI background check depends on the organization requesting it. Typically, organizations require these checks before starting a position or participating in an event. Some states or local counties or municipalities even require them.
The process can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the depth of the search and the responsiveness of the sources being checked. If one of your references is on vacation and not answering emails, the process will obviously take longer.
Why You Get One
The primary reason for undergoing an NCSI background check is to ensure the safety of vulnerable populations, such as children and young athletes. By running background checks, NCSI helps organizations minimize the risk of harm to its participants and the risk of liability for the organization.
Types of Errors
NCSI background checks can contain errors. These errors significantly impact people’s lives. Some common errors include:
- False positives can occur when the background check incorrectly identifies a person as having a criminal record or other issues.
- Sometimes, a background check might confuse two people with similar names or other identifying information, leading to incorrect results.
- Background checks might include old or incorrect information that should no longer be relevant.
- Missing information can also lead to an inaccurate representation of someone's background.
- Simple mistakes in data entry or processing can lead to significant errors in the final report.
These errors can have severe consequences, including lost job opportunities, damaged reputations, and unnecessary stress and anxiety.
The FCRA requires that collectors of personal information use reasonable care to make sure that the information they are collecting and compiling and selling to organizations is accurate. While the error might be in some other county’s criminal database, in light of the potential impact on a person’s reputation, NCIS's responsibility and the level of care that makes care reasonable should be more than just putting any old list together.
The Importance of Fixing Those Errors
If you have recently undergone an NCSI background check and become aware of an error in the resulting background check report, we are really sorry. We know how disorienting and damaging these errors can be. It’s important to make efforts to fix those errors. As you may be discovering:
- An inaccurate background check can prevent someone from getting a job or volunteer position, affecting their livelihood and career prospects.
- Incorrect information can harm an individual's reputation, leading to social stigma and personal distress.
- In some cases, false positives or other errors can result in legal issues, adding to the individual's burden.
- Everyone deserves to be judged based on accurate information. Ensuring background checks are correct is a matter of fairness and justice.
We want to help you correct these NCSI errors.
How We Can Help
If you encounter errors in your NCSI background check that negatively impact your life, we may be able to sue them under the FCRA.
We will carefully review your NCSI background check report to identify any inaccuracies or errors. This detailed examination is crucial for understanding the nature and extent of the problems. Next, we will help you gather evidence to support your case. This might include court documents, identity verification, employment records, and other relevant information. Having solid evidence is essential for disputing errors effectively.
Once we have identified the errors and gathered supporting evidence, we will guide you through the process of disputing the inaccuracies with NCSI. This involves submitting a formal dispute, providing all necessary documentation, and following up to ensure the errors are corrected promptly.
If NCSI fails to correct the errors in a timely manner, we may need to consider legal action. As your background check attorney, we will represent you in any legal proceedings, ensuring your rights are protected and you receive both fair treatment and just compensation.
Throughout the entire process, we will be your advocate, provide support, and offer guidance. Dealing with background check errors can be overwhelming, but you don't have to face it alone.
Errors in NCSI background checks can have profound and far-reaching consequences. Contacting and talking with a consumer protection attorney at Consumer Attorneys can help you understand your rights and navigate the legal process to address these inaccuracies and hold NCSI accountable for the damage their oversight has caused.
You can contact us by calling 1-877-615-1725 or emailing us at [email protected]. You can also chat with a live representative on our website or fill out a contact form on the “Contact Us” page of our website.
Together, we can work to ensure that the information being used to evaluate you is accurate and fair, and when it’s not, that you get compensated for the very significant damage it can cause.
Frequently Asked Questions
The time it takes to complete an NCSI background check can vary from a few days to a few weeks. To do its background checks, NCSI scans and scours thousands of criminal, motor vehicle, and public records databases. It also verifies employment and if relevant, education. The more places a person a person has lived, worked, and learned will add to the tie it takes for NCSI to collect the information. Also, NCSI also checks references. The reference’s responsiveness is a factor in how long an NCSI background check will take.
The NCSI background check looks for anything that suggests the subject of the background check might not be suitable to work for a school, youth sports league, or some other civic group. This can include a criminal conviction, a poor driving record, questionable references, or some other flaw in the verification process. Organizations want to protect themselves and their reputations from bad actors. Each organization may be on the lookout for some specific factor that suggests someone wanting to work with them might not be suitable.
Because it deals in people’s personal information, NCSI must comply with all tenets of the Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA). The FCRA requires organizations to get explicit written permission of background check subjects before it can do a background check on that person. The FCRA also provides very clear and unmistakable protocols for how an organization must obtain that authorization. If you had a background check by NCSI, you should have given someone permission to do so. If you did not, contact Consumer Attorneys.
![Attorney Daniel Cohen Daniel Cohen is the Founding Partner of Consumer Attorneys](/_next/image?url=%2Fmedia%2Fblog%2F65f9ae7cda113.webp&w=640&q=75)
Daniel Cohen is the Founder of Consumer Attorneys. Daniel manages the firm’s branding, marketing, client intake and business development efforts. Since 2017, he is a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates and the National Consumer Law Center. Mr. Cohen is a nationally-recognized practitioner of consumer protection law. He has a wealth of proven legal experience in the US in: collective claims, representing visually impaired people who believe their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act have been violated in both the physical and digital environments, corporate governance and dispute resolution. Read more
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