Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)

The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) is an executive agency set up by the Home Office to assist organisations to make safer recruitment decisions. It acts as a one-stop access point for checking police records and where appropriate, information held by the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

The CRB’s aim is to help organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors by identifying candidates who may be unsuitable to work with children or other vulnerable members of society. It allows employers greater ease of access to individuals' police records.

There are two levels of CRB check currently available:

Standard disclosures
Enhanced disclosures

Standard Disclosure

This is primarily available to anyone involved in working with children or vulnerable adults, as well as certain other occupations and entry into professions as specified in the Exceptions Order to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Standard Disclosures show current and spent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer.
Since October 2009, standard disclosures no longer include a check of the old or new barred lists (the Protection of Children Act (POCA) List, Protection of

Vulnerable Adults (POVA) list and information held under section 142 of the Education Act 2002 known as List 99). Therefore, those working with children or vulnerable people may now be eligible for an ‘Enhanced’ CRB check.

Enhanced Disclosure

This is the highest level of check available to anyone involved in regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of children or vulnerable adults.

It is also available in certain licensing purposes and judicial appointments.

Enhanced Disclosures contain the same information as the Standard Disclosure but with the addition of the new barred lists if requested and any relevant information held by the local police forces which Chief Police Officers consider relevant to the job role.

ISA Adult First Check

ISA Adult First is a service exclusive to the health sector. A request for an Adult First Check can only be permitted where there is a danger of staffing levels falling dangerously low, below statutory obligations. It can be provided within 48 hours of the request being received. The CRB will reply to the request with one of the following:

Option 1: Registered Body must wait for the CRB certificate
Option 2: No match exists for this person on the current Vulnerable Adults Barred list

Code of practice

Standard and Enhanced Disclosure information can be extremely sensitive and personal. The CRB has therefore published a Code of Practice and guidance for recipients of Disclosures to ensure they are handled fairly and used properly.

Independent Safeguarding Authority

The Independent Safeguarding Authority’s (ISA) role is to help prevent unsuitable people from working with children and vulnerable adults. Every person who wants to work or volunteer with vulnerable people will need to apply to register with the ISA, in accordance with the Vetting and Barring Scheme, which was launched on 12 October 2009.

Applicants are assessed using data gathered by the Criminal Records Bureau, including relevant criminal convictions, cautions, police intelligence and other appropriate sources.

Using this information, the ISA will decide on a case-by-case basis whether each person is suited to this work. It securely stores information about people’s ISA status for employers and voluntary organisations to use when they are recruiting.

Only applicants who are judged not to pose a risk to vulnerable people can be ISA registered. Employers who work with vulnerable people will only be allowed to recruit people who are ISA registered.

Further information

Information on CRB checks is available from the Criminal Records Bureau. This site also provides useful links to the ISA and Vetting and Barring Scheme guidance.

Information on the ISA is available from on the ISA website, including the dates upon which the scheme is gradually being introduced.

Reviewed and updated by the HR Services Partnership – April 2010.

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