Voluntary workers and other people who habitually work on temporary contracts may suffer as temporary job opportunities dry up due to a change in policy by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB).

The change will affect people whose jobs are subject to vetting by the CRB - usually where the work involves contact with children or other vulnerable people. These jobs require a ‘background check’ to be carried out by the CRB.

Prior to the change, an employer could rely on a ‘portability request’ - whereby a previous employer’s CRB check was obtained from the CRB. These, however, are no longer being supplied. New CRB checks take up to six weeks to complete, which will make obtaining them impractical for short-term appointments, especially those which are required to fill an unexpected vacancy.

Guidance on the CRB website stresses the limitations of the re-use of a previous check provided by the applicant and makes it clear that this does not constitute a fresh check. Furthermore, some positions will automatically require a fresh check to be obtained.

Voluntary associations and charities are expected to be hit hard by this change in policy. If you are affected, contact us for advice on your legal obligations.

Further guidance can be gained from the CRB website at www.crb.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=2244.