CRB Checks

CRB Checks are carried out - and must be carried out - for anyone who wishes to work with children, the elderly or individuals who might otherwise be classed as vulnerable.

The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) is able to provide information about an individual as to whether or not he or she has a criminal conviction or has been charged with a criminal conviction which has expired.

This information is gathered from a number of sources and collated by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) who will provide the applicant with what is known as a 'disclosure'.

This disclosure - as we have already mentioned - enables a prospective employer be they a school, residential or children's home or any institution where children, the elderly or vulnerable people reside, to decide for themselves if an applicant is suitable for employment.

Given recent upturns in certain crimes against the self; assault, sexual assault, child abuse etc, the demand for Criminal Records Bureau disclosures have increased dramatically.

When applying for a job the employer may well pay the cost of acquiring this disclosure or you may be asked yourself to pay for it and will be reimbursed if you are successful in your application for a job.

The CRB disclosure falls into two categories:

• Basic Disclosure
• Enhanced Disclosure

Basic Disclosure

A basic disclosure is just that; it gives the relevant information about an individual and whether they have any spent convictions. A spent conviction is a conviction that is no longer held as a matter of importance. These convictions - depending on the severity of them - should have been wiped from your file after ten years. Information also included is date of birth, nationality, address etc.

Enhanced Disclosure

An enhanced disclosure will show everything relating to arrests and convictions and any other information that the police or other law enforcement agencies may hold in relation to you.

It is worth mentioning that if you are being employed as a nanny, au pair or childminder by a private citizen that they have no legal obligation to approach the Criminal Records Bureau for a disclosure. If you are to be employed or are applying for positions where you will be answerable to a private citizen then it is your responsibility to provide them with an up to date CRB disclosure.

If however you are being employed by a government body or large organisation then they are responsible for seeking this disclosure - after having informed you of their intent to do so - and may under law seek to gain an enhanced disclosure which will detail all offences, charges or arrests leveled against you spent or otherwise.

It is worth remembering as well that if you were cautioned by the police for whatever reason - should it even have been a caution received as a minor - this too will show up on your CRB disclosure.

Criminal Records Bureau disclosures carry no time limit so if you apply for a vacancy and do not get it and then apply for another position you may be asked to provide a new CRB disclosure; this is done to provide one hundred per accuracy for the following reason; you may have been awaiting arrest or conviction for an offence at the time of your previous disclosure and these will not show up so employers will tend to ask for a new disclosure if there is a significant period of time has elapsed since the last one's issue.

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