Safeguarding & The CRB
Following the murders of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells by Ian Huntley (a school caretaker) in 2002, the Bichard Inquiry was commissioned. One of the issues this Inquiry looked at was the way employers recruit people to work with children and vulnerable adults.
It asked whether the way employers check the background of job applicants is reliable enough. It also asked whether employers should be responsible for deciding whether a job applicant can be safely employed.
The Inquiry's recommendations led to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, which recognised the need for a single agency to vet all individuals who want to work or volunteer with vulnerable people.
The ISA was created to fulfil this role across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. (Scotland is developing its own similar system, which will work closely with the ISA.)
How it will work
The ISA will assess every person who wants to work or volunteer with children or vulnerable adults. We will do this by working closely with the Criminal Records Bureau
The CRB will receive applications to the ISA and will gather and monitor information. It will also use the information previously found in:
- the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoVA) list;
- the Protection of Children Act (PoCA) list; and
- List 99 (a list of people considered unsuitable for work with children, held by the Department for Children, Schools and Families).
The ISA will then assess this information and decide whether to give the individual concerned ISA registration or put them on one of the ISA Barred Lists.
The records will be constantly updated as fresh information is gathered. If new data indicates that an individual might pose a risk to vulnerable people, they will be put on one of the ISA Barred Lists and their current employer will be informed immediately.
CRB Service at a Glance
The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) acts as a 'one-stop-shop' for organisations, checking police records and, in relevant cases, information held by the Department of Health (DH) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). There are two levels of CRB check currently available; called Standard and Enhanced Disclosures.
The two CRB checks are available in cases where an employer is entitled to ask exempted questions under the Exceptions Order to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. This includes any organisation whose staff or volunteers work with children or vulnerable adults.
This is primarily available to those working in controlled activities, as well as certain other occupations and entry into professions as specified in the Exceptions Order to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.
Standard Disclosure
Standard CRB checks show current and spent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer.
Enhanced Disclosure
This is the highest level of check available to anyone working in regulated acitvity with children or vulnerable adults. It is also available in certain licensing purposes and judicial appointments. Enhanced CRB checks contain the same information as the Standard Disclosure but with the addition of;
- any relevant and proportionate information held by the local police forces.
- a check of the new Children and or Vulnerable Adults barred lists where requested.
Disclosures with Entrust
Entrust is a registered body with the Criminal Records Bureau and offers a Disclosure service at a charge of £44.00 per application for registered candidates. This is refundable upon commencing an assignment with Entrust.
We can also provide a disclosure service to the general public at a cost of £60.00 per application.
Click here for more information on CRB and Disclosures
