What is a CRB?
CRB stands for The Criminal Records Bureau, which is an Executive Agency of the Home Office. It allows organisations in England and Wales to run checks on potential new employees therefore allowing them to make better recruitment decisions by identifying those candidates that may not be suitable for working within certain sectors or positions. The Criminal Records Bureau has specifically been put in place to protect the welfare or vulnerable adults and children.
There are two types of CRB check that can be carried out, the most appropriate being dependent on the position being applied for. The two types of CRB are:
Standard:
This is available for anyone working with children or vulnerable adults. These will show the current and spent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings which are held on the Police National Computer. It may also involve the following if the position involves working directly with children and vulnerable adults:
- Protection of Children Act (POCA) List
- Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) List
- Information that is held under section 142 of the Education Act 2002 (formerly known as List 99)
Enhanced CRB:
This is the highest level of CRB check available to anyone involved in providing care or training, supervising or being in sole charge of children or vulnerable adults. It is the same information as the Standard Disclosure with the addition of any relevant information held by the local police force.
What is Disclosure Scotland?
Disclosure Scotland is similar to the Criminal Records Bureau in that they issue a certifcate known as a ‘Disclosure’ which lists all the criminal history of a particular person, giving the employer the tools to make a better decision about who they employ, they also supply Enhanced Disclosures which provide more detailed information about the individual.
All care staff are required to have a enhanced CRB or enhanced disclosure prior to starting work.