POLICE CHECKS FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The following are the most commonly asked questions about CRB/SCRO Disclosure checks. If you can't find the answer to your question, please don't hesitate to contact us for friendly advice.

What are Registered/Umbrella Bodies?

These organisations are entitled to ask exempted questions under the Exceptions Order to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 Exceptions Order 1975 or will countersign applications on behalf of people or organisations who themselves are entitled to ask exempted questions.

What is a CRB Check?

The Criminal Records Bureau is an executive agency of the Home Office, set up to protect children and vulnerable adults from unsuitable people who in the course of their work, are in a position where they may harm them. The check provides evidence of any past cautions, convictions or warnings the person may have had.

What is a SCRO Disclosure Check?

A SCRO Disclosure is a document issued by Disclosure Scotland which contains impartial and confidential criminal history information held by the police and government departments which can be used by employers to make safer recruitment decisions.

Disclosure information could include:

• Details of criminal records
• Information about a persons inclusion on children's or adults' lists
• Other relevant information held by a local police force or Government Body
• Or state that there is no information

The information included on the document will depend on the type of disclosure applied for.

How does this work?

Establishing the true identity of the applicant is the key to subsequent searching of police records and this is done by checking a number of identity documents on behalf of the CRB/SCRO.

Who can apply for a Basic Disclosure?

Basic Disclosures are available to ANYONE (in their own name), throughout the UK, for any purpose.  A person may need one for a new job, volunteer work or a visa application.

Who can apply for a Standard/Enhanced CRB Check?

Standard/Enhanced CRB Checks are for Organisations/Employers based in England and  Wales.

Who can apply for a Standard/Enhanced SCRO Disclosure Check?

Standard/Enhanced SCRO Disclosure Checks are for Organisation/Employers based in Scotland.

What is the difference between a Basic, Standard and Enhanced Disclosure?

Additional police records are checked for an Enhanced Disclosure. The level of disclosure required will depend on the job applied for, and Mayflower will be able to advise you which level is applicable to your requirements.

Anyone can apply for a basic disclosure in their own name.

Information checked	Type of Check
	Basic	Standard CRB/SCRO	Enhanced CRB/SCRO
Unspent convictions	Yes	Yes	Yes
Spent convictions	No	Yes	Yes
Cautions, Warnings & Reprimands	No	Yes	Yes
Children’s barred list	No	No	Yes
Adult’s barred list	No	No	Yes
Other relevant information held by police forces	No	No	Yes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What if the applicant does have a criminal record?

This is not necessarily a bar to employment and is not always a valid reason for rejection of a job candidate. An information sheet regarding employment of people with a criminal record will be provided at the time of registration with Mayflower.

How do we process an application through Mayflower?

When you require a disclosure for a potential job applicant, contact us either by phone or e-mail and we will forward the necessary information and how to register with us.  Once we receive your registration details, we will forward onto you instructions,your unique username and password to access our online application system.

Where are the Disclosure Certificates sent?

The Registered Body (Mayflower Disclosure Services Ltd) and the applicant both receive a copy of the Standard/ Enhanced certificate from the CRB/SCRO. If applicable we will then inform you by email of it's receipt and forward our copy on to the organisation/employer who requested the check. It is an offence to photo-copy a certificate, and although you may ask your job applicant to see their copy, you may not copy or keep it. The organisation concerned will need to have set up a policy on the secure storage, handling, use, retention and disposal of Disclosures and Disclosure Information. 

Only one copy is printed of the Basic Disclosure, which is sent to the applicant.

How long does a Disclosure certificate last?

The CRB/SCRO disclosure certificate will show the date on which it was printed, so the older it is, the less reliable it is. However, there is no expiry date.

Is a CRB/SCRO Disclosure certificate transferable (ie: to another employer)?

If an applicant already has a CRB/SCRO Disclosure certificate, you may decide to accept it.  Please see Customer Resources section for guidance on CRB Portability. 

Disclosure Scotland Explanatory guide states: "Disclosures carry no pre-determined period of validity or absolute guarantee of accuracy. Standard and Enhanced Disclosures will be position specific and considered valid only at the time of their issue. The Code of Practice prescribes that Disclosure information must not be used for purposes other than those for which it has been provided. It is recommended that a new Disclosure be sought for each new recruit or when someone is moving to another post.”

What is the Code of Practice?

Organisations that wish to use CRB/SCRO Disclosure checks must comply with the CRB/SCRO's Code of Practice, developed after a lengthy public consultation exercise with input from a range of organisations. The Code of Practice is intended to ensure - and to provide assurance to those applying for Standard and Enhanced Disclosures - that the information released will be used fairly. The Code/s also seeks to ensure that sensitive personal information is handled and stored appropriately and is kept for only as long as necessary.

What is the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974?

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 applies to England, Scotland and Wales, and is aimed at helping people who have been convicted of a criminal offence and who have not re-offended since. Anyone who has been convicted of a criminal offence, and received a sentence of not more than 2.5 years in prison, benefits as a result of the Act, if he or she is not convicted again during a specified period otherwise known as the 'rehabilitation period'. The length of this period depends on the sentence given for the original offence and runs from the date of the conviction. If the person does not re-offend during this rehabilitation period, they become a 'rehabilitated person', and their conviction becomes 'spent'. Once a conviction is 'spent', the convicted person does not have to reveal it or admit its existence in most circumstances.

However, there are some exceptions relating to employment and these are listed in the Exceptions Order to the ROA. The two main exceptions relate to working with children or working with the elderly or sick people. If a person wants to apply for a position that involves working with children or working with the elderly or sick people they are required to reveal all convictions, both spent and unspent.

How/Who pays for the Application? 

Payment is due when an appication form is submitted to Mayfower, unless otherwise agreed with Mayflower. Payment must be made by the organisation/employer registered with Mayflower. 

We can accept payment by PayPal, debit or credit cards (see Payment On-line), cheque, postal orders or bank transfers.Cheques and postal orders should be made payable to ‘Mayflower Disclosure Services Ltd.’  Please contact us for our bank details to arrange payment/s by bank transfer. 

NB:Applications will not be processed until cheques have been cleared by our bank. This could add further delay to the receipt of CRB / Disclosure certificates. This can be avoided by paying by bank transfer.

How much do you charge?

Our administrative charge for an individual CRB/SCRO Disclosure application starts from £9.99 + VAT. This excludes the present cost of a CRB/SCRO Disclosure application. See prices for Organisations and Individuals. Outsourcing charges on bulk orders is negotiable dependent on quantity required. Please feel free to contact us for further information.