Police CRB Checks

Why CRB Checks?

What is a CRB check?

A Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check is carried out by the CRB on behalf of an organisation, with the worker’s permission, and is usually carried out as a part of an organisation’s recruitment procedure. The CRB is an executive agency of the Home Office and accesses the new Children and Vulnerable barred lists held by ISA (VBS) and the National & Local Police. The checks of teachers were previously known as List 99 checks and Police checks were known as Police CRB checks etc. These two types of checks are no longer  available separately but are now included in CRB checks.

The CRB Application Form requesting the CRB check is processed by organisations called CRB Registered Umbrella Bodies (eg. Cloisters (UK) Ltd.  No. 20088600002). The results of the CRB checks are given on a certificate called a CRB Disclosure which is sent to the applicant and a copy to the organisation.

A CRB Umbrella Body must insure that the completed application form submitted to them, from the organisation for checking, is correct and that the information contained in original documents and in the final CRB Disclosure itself are only seen by the official organisation’s Designated Person(DP). The DP and the organisation are legally bound to securely hold information, not to reveal any information gained by the process or shown on the CRB Disclosure. The organisation must destroy all information gathered and the CRB Disclosure within 6 months of issue.

There are two kinds of CRB Disclosures

  1. A Standard Disclosure reveals any criminal convictions from the age of 10 yrs old. However it  does not check official warnings or whether the applicant is band from coming in contact with children or vunerable adults. It does not cover those coming in contact with children or vunerable adults.
  2. An Enhanced Disclosure also reveals all criminal convictions and official warnings issued from the age of 10yrs old but in addition it reveals official warnings and checks banned lists. It does cover those coming into contact with children or vulnerable adults.

A worker does have the right to decline a CRB check being made but in the case of working with children or vulnerable adults it is often a legal requirement for an Enhanced Disclosure check  to be made.

Why are CRB checks needed?

Often this type of check is called a CRB clearance. It is not a clearance, it is a means of supplying organisations with the information they legally need to enable them to make correct recruitment and placement decisions especially in positions involving children & the vulnerable (ie Protection of Children & Protection of Vulnerable Adults). An organisation will be asking an exempted question under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders act 1974 (Exceptions) Oder 1975.

Why use Cloisters?

The CRB Application Forms are not easy to accurately complete. We have, through experience, identified the most common errors and include a clear Check List within the free prospectus we provide. We do suggest that if at any time you are not sure, contact us by phone and we can talk you through the pitfalls. We try to build a good relationship with the DP so that processing can be quick, fast & friendly.

Our Procedure:-

  1. Cloisters supplies, a free prospectus/guide including  blank CRB Disclosure Application Form(s)  to the organization’s Designated Person (DP).
  2. The Applicant completes the CRB Disclosure Application Form.
  3. The DP checks that the Applicant has accurately and fully completed the Application Form and has provided correct original documentation.
  4. The DP checks, copies and files the Applicant’s documents and forwards the completed application form to Cloisters.
  5. Cloisters checks that the CRB Application Form contains no obvious errors and contacts the DP if there are.
  6. Cloisters completes/countersigns the form & forwards to the CRB within 2 working days.
  7. Note:- The DP can track the progress of the CRB application online. The time taken for issue of a Disclosure (average approx 2 weeks) once received by the CRB can vary greatly & will depend on the candidate’s circumstances and the response of the CRB and the National and Local police. We can only chase up applications if 60 days have elapsed since the CRB’s receipt of the completed Application Form.
  8. Cloisters and the Applicant receive Disclosure certificates directly from the CRB.
  9. Cloisters forwards their copy of the Disclosure certificate to the DP by “Private and Confidential” letter within a day of receipt.

Cloisters

We have been processing CRB checks since 2002, when the CRB Disclosure service began, initially as a Registered Body for our own staff and then later as an Umbrella Body processing for many different types organisations in the following sectors…