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Protecting the vulnerable: customer praise for the vital work of the Criminal Records Bureau

HOME OFFICE News Release (127/2007) issued by The Government News Network on 25 July 2007

Children and vulnerable adults have been protected from over 60,000 unsuitable people as a direct result of CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks in the last three years, according to new research published today. Meanwhile, nearly nine out of ten CRB customers (registered bodies) are satisfied with the service they receive.

The CRB helps organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors identify candidates who may be unsuitable to work with children or other vulnerable members of society. These results, a record high for customer satisfaction, come as the agency publishes its Annual Report and sets out its business plan for 2006/7. Key statistics from the research, carried out by MORI, also show that:

* eight out of ten customers say CRB checks improve confidence in their recruitment decisions;
* nearly six out of ten customers would speak highly of CRB checks as a recruitment tool;
* 87 per cent of customers are satisfied with the service they receive from the CRB; and
* nine out of ten customers say CRB checks improve their ability to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Home Office Minister Meg Hillier said:

"It is difficult to conceive of a more important duty than that of protecting those who are most vulnerable in our society, and these results show the professionalism and care with which the CRB carries out that vital task.

"The public rightly demands a high standard of service from the CRB and the tough new targets set out today are evidence that the agency will not rest in seeking ways to further improve its service and strengthen the safeguards for those it protects."

CRB Chief Executive Vince Gaskell said:

"The CRB has a crucial role to play in the protection of children and the vulnerable, which is why we continue to set ourselves tough targets. I am delighted that customer satisfaction has increased and with developments like the online tracking tool, a quality assurance framework with the police service, and other major projects, I am confident we can continue that trend."

The Annual Report and Business Plan published today highlight the service improvements made in the last 12 months as well as plans to build on this foundation for the future. Also published today are new targets to ensure that the CRB continues to aim for a high standard of service.

In the last year the CRB introduced a number of new enhancements including an online tracking service and a new quality assurance framework with the police to improve the efficiency of enhanced checks. It has also increased the number of data sources available to be searched centrally, including information from the British Transport Police and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

New targets mean that the CRB will be expected to complete its part of the process and send applications to police in 90 per cent of enhanced checks within ten days. It must also ensure that 99 per cent of enhanced disclosures are issued within 60 days. The CRB will also be expected to build on its high accuracy rate, currently standing at 99.94 per cent, by ten per cent each year.

NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The CRB provides access to criminal record information through its Disclosure service. It enables organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors to make safer recruitment decisions by identifying candidates who may be unsuitable for certain work, especially that involving children or vulnerable adults. The CRB was established under Part V of the Police Act 1997 and commenced operation in 2002.

2. Registered Bodies are organisations that have registered directly with the CRB to use its services.

3. The Annual Report and Customer Satisfaction survey are available from the CRB website: http://www.crb.gov.uk

4. The online tracking tool was launched in 2007 and allows registered bodies and Disclosure applicants to securely check the progress of their Disclosure online. More information on the service is available on the CRB website: http://www.crb.gov.uk