CRB Announce Price
Freeze for 2008 (Mar 08)
The CRB have announced a price freeze for the next
12 months.
APCS will also freeze their fees for the second
year running, increased volume of your business, and efficiency improvements have
allowed us to do this, however, please see note on VAT above.
Top
CRB Audit of our Procedures
(June 2007)
We have recently undergone a compliance audit of
our procedures by the CRB.
The good news is that only 2% of the Disclosure Applications we’ve sent to
the CRB have been found to have errors. Generally, across all Registered and Umbrella
Bodies, the error rate is above 20%. So we’d like to say thank you to all
our clients – your diligence in checking forms and id documents avoids delays
to applications and saves effort in chasing up missing or incorrect information
later.
The CRB have asked us to provide more clarity of
the requirements in the following areas, and we’ve quoted their recommendations
below.
Top
Timing of Disclosure ID Checks
It is strongly recommended by the CRB that a disclosure
is requested prior to an applicant commencing employment. The CRB therefore advise
that Disclosure identity checks are conducted as early as possible in the recruitment
process.
Top
Storage of Disclosure documents
Disclosures must be stored in secure, lockable,
non-portable cabinets, separate from other personnel files, with access restricted
to those involved in the recruitment decision.
Top
CRB Announce Price Freeze
for 2007 (Feb 07)
The CRB have announced that they have achieved
self – funding status as a result of efficiency savings and their fees will
consequently be frozen for 2007.
APCS fees will also be frozen, so the prices we
quote will not change during 2007.
Top
Volunteer Status (Feb 07)
The CRB is committed to providing free checks for
volunteers and some 20% of disclosures are issued to volunteers. However, some
volunteer applications are still being submitted for posts for which a fee should
be due.
Registered Bodies must check carefully that free
applications fall within the strict definition of volunteer status, otherwise
a retrospective fee may be charged.
Top
Applications Waiting for Police
Checking (Aug 06)
In July the CRB introduced a new process for the
handling of progress enquiries where the Disclosure is held up at the police checking
stage of the Enhanced Disclosure process for 60 days or more. The CRB has agreed
new service level agreements with the police forces which include a number of
targets:
- 75% of checks must be completed in 10 days
- 95% of checks must be completed in 14 days
- 99% of checks must be completed in 25 days
- 100% of checks must be completed in 60 days
Current performance against targets can be found
on the CRB Website at:
http://www.crb.gov.uk/
Top
CRB Checks in Schools
(Feb 06)
In view of recent media coverage about List 99
and checks on staff in schools, the CRB have issued a statement regarding the
checks they carry out, an extract from which follows :
" A CRB check involves an automatic search
of the Police National computer. This would reveal if a person has been convicted,
cautioned, reprimanded or given a warning for a criminal offence, including those
that relate to sexual offences. If the position for which the CRB check is required
involves working with children or vulnerable adults, the CRB also check List 99,
the POCA list and the POVA list. For Enhanced CRB checks, the CRB contact police
forces and request a search of information held locally. This would include a
search of the Sex Offenders Register."
"….it is worth noting that in all the
cases reported in the media, the CRB check revealed all the information on which
a decision to recruit, or not, was made. This included details of the convictions
and cautions that led to the person being placed on the Sex Offender's Register,
and any other relevant information that was held by police."
The full text of the statement can be found on
the CRB's website at: http://www.crb.gov.uk/
Top
Volunteers - Students and
School Pupils on Work Placement (Dec05)
School pupils aged 14 to 16 on short period work
placement as an educational requirement are entitled to be categorised as volunteers
and receive reduced price disclosures. Those aged 17 or over undertaking work
placement as part of their course are not categorised as volunteers. This is because
they are considered to be doing the work placement for gain - course credits,
a qualification, or money.
Top
CRB Audit Visit (Apr 04)
We have had an audit visit from the CRB compliance
team. We have met their stringent requirements.
They have asked us to remind existing and potential
customers about the following :
1. Disclosures should be stored in a locked
cabinet, independently of personnel files.
2. Disclosures should be retained for no
more than 6 months and then destroyed. Ideally they should be destroyed after
a recruitment decision is taken. You only need to record the disclosure number,
type and date as evidence that a disclosure has been obtained. No conviction information
from the disclosures should be stored. For positions regulated by the National
Care Standards Commission, you should retain disclosures for 12 months, or until
an inspection takes place, whichever is the sooner.
3. Employers may only seek Disclosures for
employees whose job involves working with children or having regular contact with
vulnerable adults. A person who regularly cares for, trains, supervises or is
in sole charge of children or vulnerable adults requires an Enhanced Disclosure.
Otherwise, a Standard Disclosure is required.
4. Employers must abide by the CRB Code
of Practice regarding Disclosures. This covers such things as treating applicants
with a criminal record fairly, and the confidentiality of Disclosure information.
They must have a Recruitment Policy which states their obligations under the Code
of Practice. The CRB Code of Practice can be found on their website, http://www.crb.gov.uk/
under Publications.
We provide our clients with the CRB Code of Practice,
a sample Recruitment Policy, and the CRB policy on safe storage, retention and
disposal of Disclosure information and can e-mail further copies on request.
Top
Work Placements are not 'volunteers'
(Apr 04)
The CRB have advised us that students seeking work
placements are not classed as volunteers and are not entitled to the reduced price
disclosure. If a student is taking up a work placement involving working with
children or vulnerable adults then they require a disclosure, regardless of age.
Top
Disclosures for Self Employed
Individuals (Feb 04)
The CRB have told us we cannot process a disclosure
for a self employed individual. In other words, you cannot obtain a disclosure
on yourself. If you work through an Agency, or membership organisation then that
is acceptable - so long as we can send the employer's copy to the agency or organisation
who will assess your suitability for the work.
