DISCLOSURES
from the Criminal Records Bureau
Introduction
Disclosures
A Disclosure is a document containing information about a person held by the police and government departments. It can be used by employers and voluntary organisations to make safer recruitment decisions. Disclosures are provided by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), an executive agency of the Home Office. By providing access to criminal records information, the CRB helps organisations to identify applicants who may be unsuitable for certain work, especially work involving contact with children or other vulnerable members of society.
This document deals only with Disclosures relating to work with children; it does not cover Disclosures relating to work with vulnerable adults
Arrangements in the diocese
The Diocesan Board of Finance acts as the Registered Body for Disclosure applications for the Diocese in respect of all licensed ministers and lay posts.
- For Clergy Disclosure applications, please contact Anne Neal at the Bishop's Office, Old Palace, The Precincts, Canterbury CT1 2EE Tel: 01227 459382
Email anne.neal@bishcant.org sue.bowles@bishcant.org - For Readers' Disclosure applications, please contact Ali Mackey, Board of Ministry and Training, Lady Wootton's Green, Canterbury CT1 1NQ Tel: 01227 459401
Email: rfletcher@diocant.org - For Lay Posts (e.g. Sunday School teachers), enquiries should be directed in the first instance either to the Parish Disclosure Officer (see below) or to the CRB Helpdesk at Diocesan House, Lady Woottons Green, Canterbury, Kent CT1 1NQ Tel: 01227 459401.
Email: crbhelpdesk@diocant.org
The Parish Disclosure Officer (PDO)
The Parish Disclosure Officer is appointed by the PCC to liaise between the parish and the Diocesan Office regarding the administrative aspects of the Disclosure process. PDOs have very different responsibilities from those of Parish Child Protection Coordinators
(see Section 4.3 of the Diocesan Child Protection Guidelines); however, in some parishes both positions are held by the same person. The PDO is provided with comprehensive information about the process of obtaining CRB Disclosures on behalf of parishes.
Responsibilities
The PCC and the incumbent are responsible for ensuring that all those authorised to work with children and young people are appropriately appointed, trained and supported; obtaining a Disclosure when appropriate is part of the recruitment process. Failure to do this could put children at risk; it could also compromise the parish's insurance cover and damage the reputation of the wider church.
For further information, please see Recruitment responsibilities of PCCs
Disclosures in the parish - overview
When is a Disclosure needed?
Disclosures can be obtained by people applying to work with children, either in a paid capacity or as volunteers. The PCC and the incumbent need to determine which posts involve work with children and to require applicants for these posts to obtain a Disclosure
In making a decision about the need for a Disclosure, the PCC and incumbent need to take into account the nature and extent of the contact with children which the position involves.
Further guidance on degrees of contact can be found below.
Levels of Disclosure
There are two levels of disclosure available - Enhanced Disclosures and Standard Disclosures.
According to the Criminal Records Bureau, an Enhanced Disclosure is available to "anyone involved in regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of children".
A Standard Disclosure is available to "anyone involved in working for children" whose work does not require them to have an Enhanced Disclosure.
Further guidance on what Disclosure, if any, is needed for the most common posts in parishes can be found below . Further assistance can be obtained if necessary from the CRB Helpdesk
Disclosures in the parish - specific issues
Blemished Disclosures (also known as 'Positive' Disclosures)
When a blemished Disclosure (i.e. one which contains information about a Caution or Conviction) is received, it is passed to the Diocesan Risk Assessment Group which, in consultation with the incumbent (or the Bishop in the case of licensed ministry posts), makes a professional risk assessment and then makes a recommendation to the incumbent/PCC, or the Bishop, about the suitability of the individual concerned for the post in question.
Portability of Disclosures
Portability means the re-use of a CRB Disclosure obtained for a position in one organisation and later used for another position in another organization. This is a complicated issue which involves the assessment and balancing of risks; Parish Disclosure Officers have the appropriate information to enable them to advise the incumbent/PCC in each case.
Renewal of Disclosures
It is the policy of the Diocese that a Disclosure is only renewed when a person takes up a new post. Originally it was understood that Disclosures should be renewed every three years but, after advice, the House of Bishops has recommended and the Diocese has adopted the present policy. Blemished Disclosures are reviewed by the Diocesan Risk Assessment Group every three years and a decision is taken in each case whether to apply for a new Disclosure. It is likely that the present policy will remain in force until details of the new Vetting and Barring Scheme are published in 2008.
Bellringers
Because of the number of queries which have arisen, specific guidance is provided for PCCs to help them decide which individuals involved in bell ringing should be asked to obtain a CRB Disclosure.
The administrative process in the parish
The administrative process in the parish is carried out by Parish Disclosure Officers, who have been issued with detailed guidance.
Parish Policy Statement regarding recruitment, Disclosures and the security of Disclosure information
The parish should have agreed this policy statement and needs to monitor its implementation.
Parish Policy Statement
Agreement between the Diocese and the parish on obtaining Disclosures
The parish should have made this agreement with the diocese.
Agreement
Policy Statements
Parishes should note these two important Policy statements relating to CRB Disclosures:
- Diocesan Policy Statement - Recruitment of ex-offenders (pdf)
- Diocesan Policy Statement - Secure storage of disclosure information etc (pdf)
Further information and assistance for parishes
This website provides a brief overview of the topic of Disclosures. However, it does not seek to deal comprehensively with every complex issue or to provide an answer to every question.
Parish Disclosure Officers should normally be able to advise incumbents and others about the administrative aspects of obtaining Disclosures and to assist applicants with completing application forms for Disclosures. For further help on these or any other matters regarding Disclosures, please contact the CRB Helpdesk; Helpdesk staff are always very willing to assist.
CRB Helpdesk, Diocesan House, Lady Wootton's Green, Canterbury, CT1 1NQ
Telephone: 01227 - 459401
Email: crbhelpdesk@diocant.org
Degrees of Contact
Parishes may find it helpful to assess the degree of contact involved, as follows:-
- People in positions of trust, who are likely to be in contact with children In addition to clergy and readers, and ordinands in training (for whom all Disclosures are handled by the Bishop's Office), examples of people in such positions include: Child Protection Co-ordinators or Advocates, stipendiary Lay Workers, members of Ministry Leadership Teams and Worship Leaders. Churchwardens but only those whose duties bring them into contact with children. Enhanced Disclosures should be obtained.
- People with responsibility for/in charge of children
(This category includes helpers who may be temporarily in charge of children - for example, when taking them to the cloakroom or toilet).
Examples are Sunday School teachers/helpers; youth workers/helpers; crêche workers/helpers; organists, choir leaders, head servers, tower captains where there are/could be children in the choir/team. People who are involved with organising/running one off events, camps/residentials events. Enhanced Disclosures should be obtained.
- People who are not responsible for/in charge of children but who may have opportunities for one-to-one contact with children.
(Even if there is little possibility of one-to-one contact once an event has begun, there may be the possibility of such contact beforehand or afterwards).
Examples are those involved in mixed age activities such as choirs, bell ringing teams or teams of servers of which children are members (or could be visited by children).
Standard Disclosures will probably be required, unless there are circumstances which make an Enhanced Disclosure more appropriate.
- People who come into contact with children but do not have responsibility for them or (normally) opportunity for one-to-one contact.
Whether a Disclosure is required will depend on the assessment made of the nature and extent of the contact and of the possibility of that contact being abused. For example, it may or may not be appropriate to seek a Disclosure for a sidesperson, a verger or a cleaner, depending on the circumstances in which they carry out their duties. If a Disclosure is required, it is likely to be a Standard Disclosure.
- People who have no contact with children No Disclosure is required.