2.5 The service offered by the Bureau is more comprehensive than that which existed previously. A sample of 14,225 applications14 received between October and December 2002, suggests that seven per cent were from sectors which have formal access to criminal record information for the first time such as voluntary organisations. The Scout Association and the Amateur Swimming Association, for example, have welcomed access to the Bureau and have found immediate benefits (Figure 6). More generally, customers have found that the service provides more consistent information and is more thorough than before. Other customers, such as those in education, can now obtain checks on groups such as parent helpers and administrative staff, who were not covered by the old process of police checks. These groups accounted for over 20 per cent of the above sample.
2.6 The Bureau was set up to protect the vulnerable, which include children and adults who are incapacitated in some way, such as those who are old, ill or disabled, by widening access to criminal records. The key decision on who needs a Disclosure and the level of checking required is determined by legislation, and is based on the level of risk identified with particular jobs, such as those working with children. The Bureau does not set these requirements and the rules are complex and open to interpretation.
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| Benefits to voluntary organisations of the Bureau's checks |
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| At the time of our study the Amateur Swimming Association had identified ten cases where the Disclosure caused concern. Under the previous process of self-disclosure this relevant information might not have come to their attention. |
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| The Scout Association still carry out a range of checks on applicants, in addition to obtaining a Disclosure. By March 2003 they had around twenty five Disclosures (0.26% of their total) which influenced a recruitment decision but they also had information about offences such as theft which enabled them to allocate responsibilities more appropriately. |
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14 One per cent sample of applications undertaken by the Criminal Records Bureau. The Bureau's management information system cannot track the sectors from which applications have come as many Registered Bodies (e.g. local authorities) process applications from several sectors in an undifferentiated way.