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Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Checks
If your organisation works with children or vulnerable adults it is important that you consider their safety when recruiting staff and volunteers. Staff and volunteers who regularly work with children and/or vulnerable adults such as teachers, care workers, scout & guide leaders, registered child minders, sports coach, youth club workers, foster carers or adoptive parents, should obtain a CRB Disclosure certificate. Disclosures do not carry a pre-determined period of validity because a conviction or other matter could be recorded against the subject of the Disclosure at any time after it is issued. You should therefore consider renewing them periodically.
CHANGES TO CRIMINAL RECORD BUREAU CHECKS; VETTING AND BARRING SCHEME (VBS)
The Home Office has published comprehensive VBS guidance which is broken down into sections providing background and scope of the scheme, barring arrangements and the effect on employees, volunteers and regulated activity providers. It also provides useful examples that will help you to understand your duties under the new arrangements and helpful timescales and transition arrangements that you should be aware of.
Click here to view the new VSB guidance
VETTING AND BARRING (VBS) SCHEME HALTED!
On Tuesday 15 June the Government has announced their intention to remodel the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) back to proportionate, commonsense levels. As a result, the ISA-registration stage of the scheme has been stopped and therefore will not launch on 26 July 2010 as planned.
To read the full Home Office press release, click here.
There are websites where you can obtain more information from, specifically the Independent Safeguarding Authorities (ISA) website http://www.isagov.org.uk/ and the Criminal Records Bureau website http://www.crb.gov.uk/.
You can access the e-Guide via the quick links of the CRB home page or directly at www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk/eguide
However we thought it might be helpful for you to have some information on the website which has been sent to HAVS by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB).
To view the CRB Code Of Practice click here
Since the Government's launch of the Disclosure service in March 2003, there has been a growing requirement for an 'Umbrella Body' in Harrow to deal with Disclosure applications from many small voluntary organisations for the recruitment of their staff and volunteers. For this reason, HAVS has set up a Disclosure service on behalf of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), in order to help local organisations make the right recruitment decisions to protect their clients.
As an Umbrella Body for the CRB Disclosure service, HAVS is responsible for managing and administering the process of all Disclosure applications and the receipt of information from the CRB in the form of a disclosure certificate. We will also provide and give advice on policies necessary to satisfy the requirements of the CRB and to help you comply with the law.
Disclosures are only available for those professions, offices, employments, work and occupations listed in the Exception Order to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. They are not available to individuals. There are two different levels of checks. Standard Level checks are primarily for posts that involve working with children or vulnerable adults. Enhanced Level checks are available for posts involving a far greater degree of contact with children or vulnerable adults i.e. regular caring for, supervising, training or being in sole charge of such people. The cost of providing the service to client organisations includes an administration fee and is shown in the table below
PLESE NOTE, ALL CRB CHECKS MUST BE PAID BY AN INVOICE! DO NOT SEND US A CHEQUE BEFORE RECEIVING OUR INVOICE.
Do we really need ISA? (Independant Safeguarding Authority.
To visit the Criminal Records Bureau website click here.
Service type: Ongoing
Location: The Lodge
Contact details:
Berenice Horgan, CRB Officer
Telephone: 020 8863 6707
Opening times: 10.00 am - 1.00pm on Tuesday and Thursday and on 10.00 am - 4:30 pm or email berenice.horgan@harrowcvs.org.uk for any enquiries or further information about the service. If you plan to come to the office please arrange an appointment in advance.