Voluntary Action Maidstone is now offering voluntary and community groups a Criminal Records Bureau umbrella service.  This will include the new ISA registration from July 2010.

You may know that the Criminal Records Bureau does not accept applications from organisations unless they are a “Registered Body” and submit at least 100 applications within any 12 month period within the last 18 months.  Some local voluntary and community groups are able to use their own regional or national structures to access checks, but many more local groups are not able to do that.  These groups must access CRB checks through an umbrella body such as VAM.

VAM charges an administration fee for each check we coordinate (this applies to both paid staff and volunteer staff).  The current CRB charges are: volunteer checks - free of charge, enhanced paid staff checks - £36.

Total costs for coordinated checks for 2009/2010 are therefore:

volunteer check - £15

enhanced paid staff check - £55

We see each applicant for a short face to face meeting where we check the form has been completed properly and check and record ID.

For more information about Voluntary Action Maidstone's CRB umbrella service, contact June Smith.

“The duty to refer” – reminder for employers of paid/unpaid staff working with children or vulnerable adults:

From 12 October 2009, if you remove someone you employ or for whom you are responsible, from regulated activity or controlled activity, or if they leave while under investigation for allegedly causing harm or posing a risk of harm, you are legally obliged to refer this information to the ISA (Independent Safeguarding Authority). Failure to do so is an offence and will carry a significant penalty.  Further guidance on how to make a referral to the ISA can be found on the ISA website (www.isa.homeoffice.gov.uk).

This is a requirement of the new Vetting & Barring Scheme (VBS) which is being run by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

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