FAQ - Can you tell me more about the Criminal Records Bureau and the disclosure process?

Answer

The Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) and the Disclosure system has responsibility for undertaking all criminal records check in England and Wales. The CRB are charged primarily with checking the suitability of job candidates for roles that involve working with children and/or vulnerable adults. It also covers the recruitment of students whose courses involve the potential to work in similar environments. As a result, all applicants for healthcare courses in the UK are required by law to complete the Disclosure process run by the CRB.

The Disclosure process ascertains whether or not entrants have a criminal background which might prevent them from working with children, young/vulnerable adults and ensures that entrants have not previously been excluded from working with children.

Disclosure Process

All universities that run healthcare undergraduate and postgraduate courses need to apply to become a Registered Body and to register a Lead Counter Signatory which costs the institution £300. There is an additional charge of £5 per additional signatory. All Registered Bodies are required to sign the Code of Practice, which ensures the fair use and secure handling of disclosed information.

All NHS funded health professionals and pre-registration students and medical students must be subject to a CRB check. Places will be offered to potential students on the non-academic condition that they provide a satisfactory Criminal Record check. Once a student has accepted a place on a course the student must apply to the CRB for a Disclosure.

There are two levels of disclosure: Standard and Enhanced. A full explanation of what each level of disclosure involves can be found here. All prospective healthcare students will be expected to apply for a standard disclosure and those whose normal duties include regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of children or vulnerable adults will be eligible for an enhanced disclosure. A Standard Disclosure costs £26.00 and an Enhanced Disclosure costs £36.00. The applicants must cover these charges themselves.

To ensure that students are adequately check for any situation they may work in during the course of their studies many Medical and Dental Schools have requested students apply for Enhanced Disclosure which will show all convictions, both 'spent' and not 'spent', held at national level as defined under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. It will also show details of any cautions, reprimands or warnings. Checks will be made with local police force records in addition to checks with the Police National Computer (PNC) and the government department lists held by the DfES and DH, where appropriate. With regards local police information, it is up to the Chief Constable of the police force to decide what, if any, information is disclosed to both the applicant and the university. An example of information disclosed to both parties could be details of a child protection case conference. An example of information that is only disclosed to the university could be details of suspected criminal activity were an arrest has not taken place but is anticipated.

The Disclosure application form should be signed by the university whose offer the student firmly accepts. The original Disclosure will then be issued to the individual and a copy sent to the Registered Body (i.e. the university). Once the University is in receipt of a student's satisfactory Disclosure the enrolment process can be completed.

As we understand it, there is no need to check all existing students. The disclosure procedure is only activated for new applicants.

With regards overseas students who have not lived in the UK for any length of time, the CRB can provide advice on obtaining checks from abroad.

Disclaimer: This FAQ was written by Christopher Smith and does not reflect an official endorsement by the HEA or any other organisation. Any questions or queries should be sent to enquiries@medev.ac.uk. 

Last updated: 01 July 2011