For information on all aspects of the CRB please follow the links below.
The CRB Check Service is the CRB's method of providing criminal history information to organisations wishing to recruit.
A CRB Check is a statement detailing the applicants previous criminal convictions up to the date it was requested. Enhanced checks (more about these later) also contain cautions and further information.
They are intended to provide recruiters with information to ensure that the applicant is suitable for the position they have applied for.
Due to the sensitive nature of CRB Checks, organisations wishing to use the CRB Check Service must comply with the CRB Code of Practice. This is discussed in our section: About the CRB Code of Practice, and also in our section: Managing the CRB Check Process.
Formed in 2002, the aim of Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) is to provide a single access point to criminal records information held by the UK's Local and Metropolitan Police Forces. In doing so the CRB aims to promote safer recruitment decisions by identifying candidates that may be unsuitable for certain types of work.
In partnership with a network of registered umbrella agencies (more about these below) the CRB provides CRB Check certificates for current and prospective employees and volunteers of organisations that wish to ensure informed, responsible recruitment decisions.
The CRB is at the forefront of modern government policy on public service management. Managed in partnership with the governments private sector partner, the Capita Group, the CRB aims to become a self-financing public service through continuously improving the efficiency and quality of its check service. Central to the efficiency and quality of the check service is the fact that only registered agencies (known as CRB Umbrella Bodies) may apply to the CRB for CRB Checks. This reduces the workload of the CRB and enables them to effectively manage adherence to the CRB Code of Practice (more about this later) among its registered agencies.
Individuals and organisations wishing to apply for a CRB Check must do so through a registered umbrella agency (or apply to become a registered CRB umbrella agency).
In order to promote on-going efficiency and quality improvements the CRB are continuously raising the threshold requirements of its registered umbrella agencies, and promoting best practice standards to successful registrants. The CRB also has major strategy initiatives to increase the role of IT in the CRB check process, in order to improve efficiency and customer service.
Criminal Records Services is a registered specialist CRB Umbrella Agency.
The CRB provides two levels of check, Standard Checks and Enhanced Checks, these are discussed in their own section.
The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) was passed to enable individuals with previous convictions not to disclose such convictions when seeking employment, provided they had not re-offended within a given period.
If the conviction resulted in a sentence of less than 2.5 years then, after a period determined by the sentence, individuals no longer had to disclose their offence on job applications. The conviction had become 'spent'.
For example, if a person receives a sentence of imprisonment or detention in a young offenders institute of between 6 months and 2.5 years, the rehabilitation period is 10 years, or 5 years if the individual was under 18 at the time of conviction. For an absolute discharge, i.e. no time spent in detention, the rehabilitation period is six months.
The Act has obvious implications for the CRB Check process as employers will have access to such convictions if they apply for CRB clearance. In order to prevent possible official proceedings, such employers need to be aware of the implications of the Act when using CRB Check information in recruitment decisions.
Criminal Records Services advisors have considerable experience of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and are able to offer a full telephone advisory service to users of our CRB Check service. The CRB website also has important information for employers.
Compliance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act forms part of the CRB Code of Practice. This is discussed in our section: About the CRB Code of Practice, and also in our section: Managing the CRB Check Process.
The CRB defines 52 categories of professions or roles that are eligible for Checks, but the relevant categories for most organisations are those related to working with children or vulnerable adults.
As a general rule If the day to day activities of your staff bring them into contact with children, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups of society, then CRB clearance should be obtained. If, for example, your organisation offers contract services to schools, then it is reasonable to assume that such contact will occur.
For such organisations, CRB clearance for their employees is clearly required. As such, the vast majority of schools will expect employees of contract organisations to have CRB Check clearance as a minimum requirement of working on the premises.
In other areas, the decision is less clear. There are many service organisations whose employees frequently come into contact with children and vulnerable groups. Such organisations should consider the protection offered by ensuring their employees have been CRB checked.
Several professional groups also require CRB clearance in order to practice, particularly in the medical, financial and civil fields.
We currently have an extremely diverse range of organisations requesting CRB Checks.
For advice in determining your CRB Check needs you can contact Criminal Records Services.
Currently their are two levels of CRB Check, Standard Check and Enhanced Check. Both contain all previous convictions and cautions, whether spent or unspent and therefore require an understanding of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974). Enhanced checks contain all further information held on the applicant.
Standard CRB Checks are to be requested for roles where the job description specifies that working directly with children or vulnerable adults forms part of the jobholder's normal duties, or a role directly managing such a person.
Enhanced CRB Checks are to be requested when the job description specifies that providing childcare or daycare services to under 18's or vulnerable adults forms part of the jobholders normal duties.
The vast majority of organisations using the CRB Check Service consider that where a CRB Check is warranted, the additional checks included in the Enhanced Check are also justified and only 10% of CRB Checks issued are Standard.
Unfortunately, due to the extra information required in providing Enhanced CRB Checks they currently take longer to process. With the CRB's firm commitment to improving the check service, there are currently initiatives planned to increase the role of IT and the Internet to reduce the processing time of CRB Checks.
Employers need to be aware that checks should be warranted, since refusing a role to an individual based on information learned from an unwarranted CRB Check may result in discrimination proceedings. For more information concerning using CRB Checks for recruitment decisions see our section: The CRB Code of Practice, and also our section: Managing the CRB Check Process.
For further information on which level of check you require you can contact Criminal Records Services.
The CRB Code of Practice is intended to ensure that all organisations involved in the CRB Check process use the information provided by the check fairly and in compliance with relevant legislation. Any individual or organisation involved in processing or using CRB Checks must abide by the CRB Code of Practice. The CRB Code of Practice has two main aims.
1. To ensure that recruitment decisions made involving a CRB Check do not discriminate against individuals with unrelated (and/or spent) convictions. Essentially, that CRB Checks are used only within ' The context of a policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders'. The CRB have developed a specimen of such a policy for organisations to use.
2. To ensure that CRB Checks are handled and stored correctly. For example, it states that CRB Checks should only be used for the purpose for which they were originally intended, and that they should be securely stored for a period of not more than six months (usually) before they are destroyed.
The CRB requires that organisations that use the CRB Check Service are available for assurance checks to ensure that they satisfy the CRB Code of Practice. The CRB can refuse to issue a CRB Check if it suspects the Code of Practice is not being adhered to.
Criminal Records Services provide full assistance to our clients to achieve compliance to the CRB Code of Practice. For further information see our Managing the CRB Check Process section.
The CRB Check process, at present, is paper based. The CRB has plans to implement an electronic check service in the future to improve efficiency. The current CRB Check process is as follows.
The recruiter requests CRB Check Application Form from Registered CRB Umbrella Agency
Applicant completes the form
Recruiter, or recruiter's CRB Umbrella Agency, confirms applicants identity
CRB Umbrella Agency applies to the CRB for a Check on behalf of the applicant
CRB process check and forward check certificate to applicant and to CRB Umbrella Agency
CRB Umbrella Agency forward check certificate to recruiter
Any organisation that currently uses or plans to implement use of CRB Checks should devise, and clearly document, policies for doing so. Well researched policies will ensure compliance with the CRB Code of Practice. The policies must consider the following:
A policy for the recruitment of ex-offenders
Employers must ensure that should a CRB Check return a criminal conviction, the use of that information complies with CRB Code of Practice. The policy must ensure that only convictions relevant to the position applied for are considered in the decision making process.
For example, is someone with three previous convictions for shoplifting unsuitable to work for an organisation that provides maintenance services to secondary education establishments? What if the last offence was 25 years ago? Would it make a difference if the individual was far more skilled than the other applicants? With such potential decisions to make it is important that the policy is fair, clear, and complies with the CRB Code of Practice.
The CRB provide a specimen policy for the recruitment of ex-offenders. Criminal Records Services provide advice to our clients on implementing such a policy.
Finding a CRB Umbrella Body
There are many umbrella bodies at present, although the CRB plans ongoing reduction of the umbrella body network. Several umbrella bodies are specialist CRB Check providers and offer services tailored to their clients (i.e. Criminal Records Services). The CRB website contains a database of Registered Umbrella Bodies.
Ensuring Applicant Consent
Employers should make applicants aware that the position is subject to CRB clearance and seek their consent for a CRB check. This should be done early in the recruitment process to avoid problems at a later stage.
Ensuring Confidentiality
Organisations must ensure that information provided on CRB Checks is only available to individuals that are relevant to processing the information.
Ensuring Proper Storage
Organisations must ensure proper storage of CRB Checks in compliance with the CRB Code of Practice.
Volunteers currently face no charge for Standard or Enhanced CRB checks. Organisations wishing to apply for CRB Checks for volunteers will only have to pay the umbrella agency fee, the CRB will not make any charge for the check. The CRB defines a volunteer as:
"a person who is engaged in any activity which involves spending time, unpaid (except for traveling 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."
