CRB Disclosure

What is Disclosure?
CRB disclosure provides a form of security by identifying people who have been subject to court or other legal restraint because of issues around abuse.

The CRB website should be able to answer most queries you may have about Disclosure, but here are some frequently asked questions....

Why do artists need a Disclosure?
The DfES expects an unchecked individual going into a school to be subject to the same precautions that schools apply to any other visitor. This means, in particular, that they should not be left in sole charge of children, inside or outside the classroom, without a member of school staff also being present.

The LEA has a legal responsibility to ensure that children and young people in their schools/educational establishments (and youth clubs in some LEAs) are kept safe. Since the length of time that a Disclosure is considered current has not been defined, there will be different approaches given the nature of the particular job being recruited for and local practice. Project organisers will need to negotiate with the particular LEAs.

What are the different levels of Disclosure?
In April 2002 the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) was set up to replace the old system of police checks and to carry out a 'one-stop service' called Disclosure. A Disclosure is a document containing information held by the police and government departments.

The Disclosure service will eventually carry out two main levels of checks: Standard and Enhanced.

Standard Disclosure
A Standard Disclosure is the minimum level of Disclosure recommended for anyone with direct contact with children. This level of Disclosure is considered appropriate only if it can be guaranteed that the individual will not have unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults.

Standard Disclosures provide information on both criminal records (spent and unspent convictions) and the List 99, Protection of Children Act (POCA) and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) lists (which provide names of individuals banned from working with children or vulnerable adults). (See section 2: Glossary for more on these terms.) The turnaround time should be two weeks but can take longer, depending on the bureau's workload at the time.

Enhanced Disclosure
An Enhanced Disclosure is for people who are in situations where they have intensive short- or long-term access to children, young people or vulnerable adults and, as a result of this access, it would be relatively easy for them to commit abuse. It includes the information provided by a Standard Disclosure as well as any investigations currently underway and may also contain non-conviction information from local police records which a chief police officer thinks may be relevant. Enhanced Disclosures should take three weeks but could be considerably longer, particularly if the individual has lived in several parts of the country, each of which will be checked. Cumbria Arts recommends that all creative pracitioners working with children and young people have an Enhanced CRB Disclosure.

How long does a Disclosure last?
There is no official period of validity for CRB disclosure, however with best practice in mind, Cumbria Arts recommends that a CRB certificate should not be more than 2 years old.

How do artists apply for a Disclosure?
Self-employed individuals cannot apply for a CRB Disclosure themselves. This must be done via the school or organisation employing you. If you do not have a current CRB disclosure certificate, and would like to join our Artist Directory, please contact Cumbria Arts as we can advise you on how this can be obtained.

What is portability?
Portability refers to the re-use of a CRB Disclosure, obtained for a position in one organisation and later used for another position in another organisation. This practice is no longer endorsed by the CRB due to the risks factors involved. If you decide to accept a previously issued Disclosure you should carry out a formal risk assessment in order to fully understand the risks involved. Read more on portability here...

Other useful resources
Keeping Arts Safe: ACE 2005 sets out Arts Council England's safeguarding guidelines and is essential reading for artists and arts organisations working with children and vulnerable young adults.

Visit the NSPCC website for information on child protection in schools and policies and best practice procedures

DfES Publication: Safeguarding Children in Education