CRB Disclosures FAQ's - Basic Disclosures, Standard Disclosures, Enhanced Disclosures, Volunteer Disclosures - Which one do I need?
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Disclosures FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) Check out the information below - Call us if anything is not clear. Our experienced Team are on hand to advise you easily and quickly by phone - Contact Page
See Also - Who Requires CRB Disclosures (List of people and professions) A disclosure is a document containing information held by the police and government departments. It can be used by employers and voluntary organisations to make safer recruitment decisions. Disclosures are provided by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), an executive agency of the Home Office. The Disclosure service offers organisations a means to check the background of job applicants to ensure that they do not have a history that would make them unsuitable for posts being filled. Disclosures will provide details of a person's criminal records including convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer (PNC). If the position involves working with children, Disclosures will also contain details from lists held by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) of those considered unsuitable for this type of work. Depending on the level of Disclosure, it might also contain information held by local police forces. A Disclosure also states if there is nothing on record, it is a testament to good character. There are three levels of Disclosure: Basic, Standard
and Enhanced. What sort of Disclosure do I need ? Basic Disclosures The Basic Disclosure contains details of all unspent convictions held on the police national computer or confirms there are no convictions. Any individual or employer can apply for a Basic Disclosure through APCS. The employer needs the prior consent from the applicant. |
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Who requires criminal record checks? Disclosures FAQ's POVA - Protection Of Vulnerable Adults ISA - Independent Safeguarding Authority Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) Links |
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Go back to Services and Costs page Standard Disclosures are used for people entering certain professions such as legal and accountancy. Also people in the security industry, or needing security clearance. The Standard Disclosure contains details of all convictions held on the police national computer including current and "spent" convictions as well as details of any cautions, reprimands or final warnings. Up to October 2009: If a position involves working with children or vulnerable adults, the Standard Disclosure will indicate whether information is held on the Vetting and Barring Scheme managed by the Independent Safeguarding Authority. These are lists of people banned or restricted from working with children or vulnerable adults. As from October 2009, the above checks will no longer be made for Standard Disclosures. Important Note: As from October 2009, an Enhanced Disclosure must be used for posts involving contact with children or vulnerable adults. (Please see below) Go back to Services and Costs page These are for posts involving contact with children or vulnerable adults or work in places used principally for children or vulnerable adults (e.g. schools, care homes or prisons). This level of Disclosure involves an additional level of check to those carried out for the Standard Disclosure. An Enhanced Disclosure includes a check on local police records. Where local police records contain additional information that might be relevant to the post the applicant is being considered for, the Chief Officer of Police may release information for inclusion in an Enhanced Disclosure. Still not sure what type of Disclosure you need ! No problem - We are here to help you: Help Desk Team Contact Page Go back to Services and Costs page You may have been asked for a Standard Disclosure because you will be working in the legal, or financial professions, or the security industry, or in secure locations. Youll be asked for an Enhanced Disclosure because you will be working with Children or Vulnerable adults; or will be working in an establishment that is wholly or mainly for Children; or will be working in health care; or have applied to be a foster carer, adoptive parent or childminder. Local Authorities are increasingly making use of their premises for any activities involving children conditional upon Disclosures having been obtained for the staff involved. Similarly churches and other bodies such as the YMCA will follow suit. Quite apart from complying with requirements, most people welcome the fact that these measures are taken to protect children and vulnerable adults. Organisations that have met this responsibility can offer an additional reassurance to their customers that their staff have been fully vetted. Basic Disclosures are useful to employers wishing to check that any employee does not have an unspent conviction, information that any employer is entitled to know about. Basic Disclosures are the only disclosures that a person can apply for on themselves. They are needed for visa and liquor licence applications, but are generally useful for indicating good character. What information will I be asked for ? The Disclosure Application Form asks for the following information from the applicant:
The employer adds the following information:
For an additional fee of £10.00 ( plus £1.75 VAT ) APCS can liaise directly with the applicant and arrange for identity checks to be carried out at a local Post Office. Please see Services and Costs page. Who will receive the Disclosure ? The applicant will receive the Disclosure by post from the CRB. A copy of the Disclosure will also be sent to the Umbrella Body (APCS) who pass it on to the organisation employing the applicant, after checking the organisation is aware of the code of practice for using disclosure information. Note: APCS supply the Code of Practice with your first order. Only one copy of the Basic Disclosure is issued. APCS will pass this on to the person who requested it (the employer or the applicant). How confidential is the information provided ? Organisations using the Disclosure service must comply with the CRB Code of Practice. Note: APCS supply the Code of Practice with your first order. Under the provisions of the Code, sensitive personal information must be handled and stored appropriately and must be kept only for as long as necessary. The Code of Practice is published on the CRB website, a copy will be provided by APCS. Once the recruitment decision is taken, there is no need to retain the Disclosure document. The date and reference number is sufficient evidence that checks have been made. It is a criminal offence to pass on any information in a Disclosure to any third party. What if a Disclosure reveals a criminal record ? Safeguards and guidelines have been introduced to ensure that conviction information is not misused and that ex-offenders are not treated unfairly. The CRB Code of Practice covers how recipients of Disclosure use the information revealed. In particular, the employer must consider · Whether the conviction is relevant to
the position in question. Note: APCS supply the Code of Practice with your first order. How long is a Disclosure valid ? Each Disclosure will show the date on which it was provided. The older the Disclosure the less reliable it becomes. The CRB recommends that disclosures should be renewed every 3 years, or when a person changes their employer however, some organisations have regulators that may require renewals at shorter periods. Im a Volunteer - Am I entitled to a reduced fee ? The CRB process disclosures for volunteers free of charge, so you only pay the APCS part of the fee, which is £16 ( plus £2.80 VAT ) Please see Services and Costs page. The CRB define a volunteer as "a person who is engaged in any activity which involves spending time, unpaid (except for travelling and other approved out-of-pocket expenses), doing something which aims to benefit someone (individuals or groups) other than, or, in addition to close relatives". They are very strict on how this is interpreted and they specifically exclude family members of the business owner, foster parents or carers, and people on work placements working towards a qualification or skill to help their employment prospects. They will audit volunteer applications and make retrospective charges if necessary. APCS will check with applicants classified as volunteers to ensure they fall within the CRB definition. Go back to Services and Costs page Disclosures for Self Employed Individuals Self employed people can obtain a Basic Disclosure on themselves through APCS. The CRB cannot process a Standard or Enhanced Disclosure for a self employed person. Individuals requiring a disclosure must apply through an employer or agency. From July 2010 Self Employed individuals can become isa-registered online through our sister website www.isa-registered.co.uk (click on link - available after July 2010) ID Checking How can APCS do this for me ? In normal circumstances the employer checks the applicants ID documents when they fill in the Disclosure Application form, perhaps at the job interview. The information pack we send out explains how these checks are done. In some circumstances, it is not possible for the employer to do this, usually because the applicants are geographically dispersed. APCS can deal with these applicants directly. The applicant takes ID documents and the application form to a local Post Office where the documents are checked and returned to the applicant. The CRB application form and evidence of the ID Checking is then sent to APCS and we can process the application from there. The employers involvement is limited to putting the applicant in touch with APCS initially, and receiving the disclosure at the end of the process. The cost of this service is an additional £10.00 ( plus £1.75 VAT ) and the applicant pays £5 at the Post Office counter. Should the employer prefer the applicant not to be charged, the cost is £16 ( plus £2.40 VAT ) which is invoiced to the employer - Please see Services and Costs page. Go back to Services and Costs page Help ! Our experienced Team are on hand to advise you easily and quickly by phone: You are here > Disclosures - FAQ's Click below for: Who requires criminal record checks ? You are here > Disclosures - FAQ's POVA - Protection Of Vulnerable Adults ISA - Independent Safeguarding Authority Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) Help ! Our experienced Team are on hand to advise you easily and quickly by phone: News |