All applicants to the College of Opticians of Ontario (the College) must complete the criminal record screening and mandatory reporting process as part of the application process. This includes an obligation to disclose any outstanding charges, findings of guilt, bail conditions and other restrictions. Applicants must also disclose whether there is any history of other conduct that may impact their ability to practice opticianry safely and ethically.
The College requires this information to carry out its duty to protect the public. Part of this duty entails ensuring that persons seeking registration with the College will practice the profession in accordance with the law, will display appropriate knowledge, skill and judgment and will provide safe and ethical care when registered as opticians.
Effective January 1, 2021, applicants for a certificate of registration as a Registered Optician must also provide a Vulnerable Sector (“VS”) check as part of their application for registration with the College. A VS check verifies whether the applicant has a criminal record or any record suspension for sexual offences and searches local police records for information relevant to the VS check. The College uses the results of the VS check to verify some of the above noted information.
The Vulnerable Sector check must meet the following requirements:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the College will accept scanned and faxed copies of the VS check results. The College reserves the right to request the original report for verification purposes.
For more information, please refer to the Policy on Vulnerable Sector Check and Applicants with Charges or Findings.
To obtain a VS Check from Toronto Police Service, please contact us at registration@collegeofopticians.ca to obtain a consent form. You will be required to provide a copy of valid government issued ID along with your completed form to verify your identity.
For information on how to submit the consent form to Toronto Police Service and the fee associated with the process, please visit the Toronto Police Service website.
The majority of jurisdictions in Ontario are continuing to provide VS checks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants should contact the College if they are advised by their local police service that VS checks are not currently available.