7. The Home Office and the Bureau should better facilitate the checking of identity, which has now been made the responsibility of employers and voluntary organisations. Currently, for example, the Bureau recommends sight of a Passport or Driving Licence as evidence of identity, but only the Bureau can check the validity of these documents with the Passport Agency's records or those of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
8. The Bureau has achieved significant improvement in the turnaround times for handling Disclosures, with the majority now dealt with within target times. The turnaround target times were, however, less onerous in 2003-04 than for 2002-03, and the Bureau should look to improve the speed of service delivery now that its activities have stabilised.
9. Disclosures should be extended to staff already employed as well as new recruits to enhance protection to vulnerable adults in particular. Due to the Bureau's initial problems the Disclosure service is not as comprehensive as planned, with the result that some categories of vulnerable people are not receiving the protection they deserve. For example, existing health and social care staff are not currently subject to checks. This situation should now be remedied.
10. In furnishing Disclosures to employers, the Bureau should emphasise that while every effort is made to secure their accuracy, they can only be as good as the basic data provided both by the applicant and the Police National Computer. The employer is ultimately responsible for recruitment decisions, and should be cautioned against placing absolute reliance upon a Disclosure.
11. The range of vulnerable groups includes both old and young and it is important that the Bureau sets its priorities to ensure that proper protection is extended to all.
12. The Home Office and the Bureau should commission research as to whether the Bureau's more comprehensive and consistent means of access to criminal records is contributing to a reduction in the number of crimes and abuses against the vulnerable.