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| Frequently Asked
Questions |
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The details below, provided by the Criminal Records
Bureau, are modified to answer your recruitment questions
| Why have I been asked to apply for a Disclosure? |
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You may have been asked for a Standard or an Enhanced Disclosure because you will be working with children, young people or vulnerable adults; or will be working in an establishment that is wholly or mainly for children; or will be working in healthcare; or have applied to be a foster carer, adoptive parent or childminder. There are also a number of other specified positions and professions for which a Disclosure can be required.
| What if I already have a Disclosure? |
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If you already have a Disclosure and would like to use it for a second position, you can ask if the organisation is willing to accept it. When making this decision they will take into account the length of time that has elapsed since that Disclosure was issued; the level of Disclosure; the nature of the position for which the Disclosure was issued; and the nature of the position for which you are now applying.
| What if I have lived overseas? |
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The CRB is only able to access information within the UK as part of its Disclosure service. Nevertheless, the CRB recognises that many employers recruit individuals from overseas, and that a CRB Disclosure may not provide a complete picture of any conviction history that may or may not exist in respect of these individuals.
| Fax Back Service |
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The CRB offers a fax back service providing information regarding the availability of criminal record information from overseas.
The fax must be set to "polling" mode. How this is done depends on the fax machine. After the fax machine is set to "polling" mode then dial the number appropriate to the country that you are interested in. The information should be faxed back more or less straight away (Note: you do not need to send any information). To begin with the countries and their corresponding numbers for the service are:
The fax must be set to "polling" mode. How this is done depends on the fax machine. After the fax machine is set to "polling" mode then dial the number appropriate to the country that you are interested in. The information should be faxed back more or less straight away (Note: you do not need to send any information). To begin with the countries and their corresponding numbers for the service are:
0906 55 55000 |
Denmark |
0906 55 55001 |
France |
0906 55 55002 |
Germany |
0906 55 55003 |
Irish Republic |
0906 55 55004 |
Italy (excluding Vatican City) |
0906 55 55005 |
Netherlands |
0906 55 55006 |
Spain |
0906 55 55007 |
Sweden |
0906 55 55008 |
Poland |
0906 55 55009 |
Canada |
0906 55 55010 |
Jamaica |
0906 55 55011 |
South Africa |
0906 55 55012 |
Malaysia |
0906 55 55013 |
Philippines |
0906 55 55014 |
Australia |
0906 55 55015 |
New Zealand |
0906 55 55016 |
Finland |
The fax back service is accurate as far as CRB is concerned however, there may be other application routes. In many cases, the information provided by overseas authorities may be in the language of the country to which the application was made. It may therefore be necessary for customers to make use of translation services. However, neither the CRB nor ACEA is able to provide information about translation issues.
NEITHER ACEA NOR THE CRB HAVE ANY INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS MADE BY INDIVIDUALS TO OVERSEAS AUTHORITIES AND THEREFORE WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENTS OR THE LENGTH OF TIME TAKEN INFORMATION TO BE RETURNED.
If you've lived overseas for a substantial period of time, it may not be worth applying for a Disclosure, as the CRB does not generally have access to overseas criminal records. We can, however, advise you on how to obtain equivalent information from the overseas authorities, where available. You may wish to discuss this with your prospective employer.
However, some organisations have a duty to check a prospective employee against one or both of the lists held by the Department of Health (those individuals considered unsuitable to work with children) and the Department of education and skills (DfES) (those considered unsuitable to work in the teaching profession). Therefore, if you are a foreign national (with either a limited or no prior period of residence in the UK) and your prospective employer has a statutory duty to check the lists, you will be required to apply for either a Standard or Enhanced Disclosure. Applying for these higher-level Disclosures is the only way to check individuals against the lists held by the DH and DfES.
If, as a foreign national, you have also lived in the UK for a substantial period of time, a Disclosure may be required, in addition to any overseas information your prospective employer deems necessary.
| How do I pay for my Disclosure? |
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A fee is charged for each Disclosure by the CRB. In addition, ACEA charges an administrative fee to process the Disclosure.
Payment for Disclosure can be made by credit/debit card, by personal cheque, or postal order.
| How will I know which level of Disclosure is required? |
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The organisation that has asked you to apply will decide the appropriate level of Disclosure for the position.
| How do I apply for a Disclosure? |
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To apply for a Disclosure please request an application pact on 020 7735 7373.
| What information do I need to give when applying? |
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You will first be asked to provide:
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your full name and any other name that you may have been known by; |
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the addresses where you have lived during the past five years; |
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your date and place of birth; |
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your national insurance number; |
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and other information such as passport/driving licence details. |
This is not a complete list, as the questions asked will depend upon the answers you provide. The information requested is to ensure that you have given your true identity and current address.
ACEA is committed to compliance with the Data Protection Act. This means that any personal information that you submit to us will be protected.
| Who will receive my Disclosure? |
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You will receive your Disclosure in the post. A copy of the Disclosure will also be sent to ACEA. Your Disclosure information will be process in compliance with the CRB Code of Practice.
| When will I receive my Disclosure? |
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You should receive your Standard Disclosure within two weeks, and your Enhanced Disclosure within four weeks, of the completed application form being posted to the CRB..
| How do I know that the information contained on my Disclosure will be kept confidential? |
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ACEA must comply with the CRB Code of Practice, which is there to make sure the whole process works fairly.
Under the provisions of the Code, sensitive personal information must be handled and stored appropriately and must be kept for only as long as it is necessary.
| What if I have a criminal record that may not be relevant to the position for which I am applying? |
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Safeguards and guidelines have been introduced to ensure that conviction information is not misused and that ex-offenders are not treated unfairly. Ex-offenders will retain the protection afforded by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Code of Practice for Registered persons and other recipients of Disclosure information will govern Registered Bodies' conduct and prevent abuse of the system.
| Can I challenge the information on my Disclosure if it is incorrect? |
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If you think that any information contained on your Disclosure is incorrect, please contact the Disclosure dispute line on 0870 90 90 778 immediately and ask about the dispute procedures.
| For how long will Disclosures be valid? |
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Each Disclosure will show the date on which it was printed, therefore, the older the Disclosure the less reliable it is. However, there will be no expiry date.
| Further Information |
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If you would like more information about Disclosure or the CRB please contact ACEA on 020 7735 7373.
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