Free portable checks for volunteers announced

The Government has announced that the new updating service will be available free of charge to volunteers.

From Spring of this year individuals will no longer have to apply for a new criminal record check each time they apply for a position. Instead, they will only have to apply once to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a certificate and then go online for an instant check to find out if the existing certificate is still up to date. The new updating service will also allow organisations to check online whether new information has been added to the certificate since it was issued.

For many volunteers and paid employees this will mean that they need only have one certificate to cover activities across multiple organisations as long as it relates to working with the same vulnerable group.

This will end the need for individuals to apply for multiple checks to work with different organisations and volunteers will be able to use the service for free when applying for different volunteering opportunities. For paid employees there will be an annual subscription fee which will be less than the cost of a new check.

The updating system is expected to be in place for spring 2013 alongside the introduction of a single issue certificate to the volunteer or paid employee only. The employing organisation will no longer receive their copy. However, CRU will be able to check online to see if a certificate has been issued and whether it is clear. In some limited circumstances we will also be able to request that a copy be sent directly to CRU for employer use.

For more information http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/agencies-public-bodies/dbs/

WCVA CRU is always on hand to answer any queries and can be contacted via 0800 0 197 391 or cru@wcva.org.uk. Website www.wcva-cru.org.uk