Applying for a CRB check for time bank members.

Transcription

1 Applying for a CRB check for time bank members. Firstly, ask yourself should I be checking this person s criminal history? Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, some criminal convictions become spent or ignored after a rehabilitation period. After this period, the offender is not normally obliged to mention the conviction to you when applying to become a time bank member. There are exceptions to this, and these involve positions where an individual is working with vulnerable adults 1 or children, or in a position of trust. It is not sufficient for these individuals to simply have access to or contact with children or vulnerable adults. For time banks it is not necessary to blanket check all participants. Only those who are training, caring or supervising vulnerable adults and/or children on a regular basis are eligible for a disclosure. If you are working for a large organisation whose policy is to CRB check all members then the host organisation is responsible for carrying out those checks. If a time bank member is engaged in regulated activity and therefore eligible for an enhanced disclosure check they will qualify for a free check under the definition of a volunteer. Regulated activity is defined in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Order 2007 and for a person to be considered in regulated they must: Undertake activity which is of a specified nature; or Undertake activity in a specified place where there is opportunity for contact with children/vulnerable adults; or Hold a specified position of responsibility; or Undertake fostering, child minding or day care provision; or Manage or supervise a worker in a regulated activity Regulated activity of a specified nature includes teaching, training, instruction, caring for, supervision, providing advice or guidance, providing any form of treatment or therapy, moderating a electronic chat room or provision of transport. Specified places include nursery, children's hospital, children's home, childcare premises, youth detention centre. The activity must take place frequently (once per week or more) or intensively (four or more days in a 30 day period or overnight). In health and personal care services, frequent is once a month or more. 1 Definition of a Vulnerable Adult A vulnerable adult for the purposes of an Enhanced Disclosure is a person aged 18 or over and who;

2 Receives a service Has a condition And has a disability The services are: Social care NHS or IHS Accommodation in a care home or Services provided in an establishment for people with learning difficulties The conditions are: Learning/physical disability Physical or mental illness-including drug/alcohol abuse Reduction in physical/mental capacity The disabilities are: Dependency upon others in performance of physical functions Severe impairment in ability to communicate Impairment in ability to protect themselves from assault, abuse or neglect Useful Websites aimed at registered bodies and organisations applicants and general public corporate info. Background, legislation Stakeholders

3 How to fill out a CRB disclosure form Do: Fill out the form in black ink Fill out the form in BLOCK CAPITAL LETTERS Fill out all relevant sections Look carefully at the date boxes: DDMMYYYY means that they want something like MMYYYY means that they want something like Don't: Staple the form Write any comments outside of the provided boxes (use a continuation sheet if you need to provide extra information) Provide any photocopies of ID with the application Send the form directly to CRB it needs to be signed by the countersignatory first. Identification checking process The applicant must provide specific identification documents as part of the CRB application process. Brokers/ the evidence checker must: Check and validate the information provided by the applicant on the application form / continuation sheet Establish the true identity of the applicant through the examination of a range of documents as set out in the Identification checking guidance (please see separate PDF regarding this.) ensure that the applicant provides details of all names by which they have been known and all addresses where they have lived in the last 5 years ensure the application form is fully completed and the information it contains is accurate ALL sections in yellow must be completed Please remember to ask the applicant if they have a middle name this is one of the top reasons for the forms being returned. An easy way to double check is, if they show you their driving licence look at the driver number. For example: ABCDE123456GH9IJ. The 2 letters after the series of numbers will match their first and second initials (if applicable).

4 If the applicant has been known as any former names, make sure question 6 (forenames) is completed, even if the name is the same. (Obviously most common with women who have married their forenames stay the same) The form will be returned by CRB if this section is not complete. Sensitive information (i.e. former gendered names) that would make a trans person's previous history apparent can now be left off the official application form so long as the missing information is sent under separate cover to a special address provided for this purpose by the CRB. Please make all applicants aware of this, and a special telephone number for them to discuss in confidence with CRB: Question 16 and 17 to be completed. If the answer to questions 20, 21, 22 is yes the valid number must be included. If the applicant has lost one of these documents but it is still valid, please use a continuation sheet to explain. If no current passport is held please do not complete question 26. Nationality. Please leave blank Latest ISA updates February 2012 Please note, the registration element of the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) has been halted as part of the Coalition Government's VBS review. There is no longer a requirement for those working or volunteering with vulnerable groups to register with the ISA.

5 Ensure that the address is valid (see Identification checking guidance) and other addresses completed if applicable. Please explain any gaps in address history, no matter how small. For example gone into Countyshire hospital or Stayed with friends at 72 The Street, Townsville, Countyshire. Any overlaps should be explained, for example: students with 2 addresses please put both on the form and enter if not at term time address, home address. For people who have been no fixed abode for any length of time, please still include dates and areas where they were staying. Please leave section d blank.

6 The applicant to sign within the box provided going outside the box will result in the application being rejected. Date the application. To be completed by the evidence checker. Usually the time bank broker or someone assigned this role within the time bank. Please bear in mind that this information is confidential and must be treated as such. Ensure W59 is established and crossed checks often returned if this section incomplete. X60 YES X61 Position applied for - Position applied for must give more information than just volunteer. Try to be as descriptive as possible this box may influence what (if any) additional information is released by the police.

7 It should indicate what kind of volunteering they will be doing, such as child carer, running a youth group or working with vulnerable adults. If they are doing such a variety of tasks, then the advice we have been given is to put mentor. This could change though so make sure you keep up to date with our latest advice. X64 Will the applicant be regularly caring for, training, supervising or being solely in charge on a regular basis for a vulnerable adult/s? X65 Will the applicant be regularly caring for, training, supervising or being solely in charge on a regular basis for a child/children? X66 Will the applicant regularly care for people in their own home? (Applies more to childminders etc.) If this box is ticked it may be requested that other people living in the house are also CRB checked. X68 If the applicant is a free of charge volunteer please ensure this box is ticked if not, you may be liable to pay. For paid positions the current fees are Standard 26, Enhanced 44. If a paid position requires a CRB check please enclose a cheque made payable to Time Banks UK or contact nicki@timebanks.co.uk should you require an invoice or would prefer to pay by bacs. Please leave this section blank to be completed by a countersignatory at Timebanking UK. What happens next? Send the completed application form, along with any continuation sheets or additional documentary evidence sheets to the address below where we will check everything and sign section Y before sending it off to the CRB. Please mark the envelope Private & confidential. Ian Toplis/Nicki Baker ian@timebanks.co.uk, nicki@timebanks.co.uk (The Exchange, Brick Row, Stroud GL5 1DF)

8 If you live in the North East, North West of England or Yorkshire send to: Eileen Redman (27 North Street, Clay Cross, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S45 9PJ) The CRB will send a copy of the Disclosure to the applicant and a copy to the counter signatory or lead signatory within Timebanking UK. We will then inform the person named in Section W58 as to whether or not any criminal record is held (no details of the record will be given). They will be informed via an , and if the contains only the name, disclosure number and date this means that no record is held. If anything has come back on the disclosure you will also receive the message Please call Timebanking UK. If you receive confirmation that the applicant has a criminal record, please invite the applicant in for a chat, and ask them to bring their copy of the disclosure in with them. The time broker can then decide what level of involvement the applicant should participate in the time bank. Should you require further information on the CRB process please call Timebanking UK.