Voluntary Action Elmbridge

DBS CHECKS

From 01 March 2010 Voluntary Action Elmbridge (VAE) became a registered Umbrella Body with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and can assist organisations with CRB checks for their volunteers and paid staff. The Criminal Records Bureau has now become the Disclosures and Barring Service (DBS

Cost of using the service from VAE
Members of VAE can access this service free of charge for volunteers.
There is a £6 administration charge per check for employed or self employed staff.
Non members of VAE can access this service for a £10 administrative fee per check (plus the £6 administration charge per check for employed or self employed staff if applicable).

DBS Cost
For a paid member of staff the charge made by the DBS is £26 for a Standard Disclosure and £44 for an Enhanced Disclosure. The DBS makes no charge for DBS checks for volunteers.  All volunteer placements working with children or vulnerable adults will require an enhanced disclosure which take approximately 4 weeks to process by the DBS.

ISA Adult First
Those employing people to posts that involve working with vulnerable adults may be able to request a check of the Vulnerable Adults' Barred List. ISA Adult First is a service exclusive to the health sector. Requests for ISA Adult First checks carry a strict criteria and are permissible only where it is necessary to take such action because of a real danger that staffing levels will fall below statutory obligations. If it is necessary to have an ISA Adult First check carried out an additional charge of £6 per applicant will apply, and VAE must be notified that this additional check is required when the CRB Disclosure Application Form is submitted. For further details on ISA Adult First go to the ISA Adult First section of the Business Link website.

How to obtain clearance
A DBS Disclosure Form is given to the applicant via VAE together with an explanation leaflet detailing the proofs of identity which are required before the form can be counter-signed. Once the form has been completed, an appointment needs to be made with the Manager of VAE or other staff member who will then process it before forwarding it to the DBS (This will take approximately 30 minutes).

Please note that only original documents (not copies) need to be produced before the form can be countersigned.  

Once the disclosure has been processed the CRB sends one copy of the disclosure form directly to the applicant and the other copy to VAE who will forward this directly to the organisation (for whom the volunteer or paid member of staff works) and which has requested the CRB check.

No copies are held by VAE.

Process for charging by VAE
An invoice shall be sent to the group on commencement of the DBS process, if applicable. Cheques should be made payable to VAE. VAE then pays the applicable charge to the CRB. 

# any amendments to this Disclosure Service will be notified via the VAE website.   

Please see Annex A for an agreement for signature when an organisation first uses VAE as an Umbrella Body. An original signed copy of this agreement must be returned to VAE (by post or fax) before any CRB checks can take place. This document will be kept in the applicable organisation's file for future reference.

Useful Documents & Links

CRB Disputes Process & Information

Template for a policy for the recruitment of ex-offenders

CRB Code of Practice

Process for CRB check with VAE

Volunteering & CRBs

How VAE deals with storage etc

How to CRB without ID