News

The Criminal Records Bureau is due to "go live" this week, but the delay since its planned launch last July has already impacted on the operation of the National Care Standards Commission, due to launch in April.

The CRB is the government's new "one-stop shop" for criminal records checks, providing access to the Police National Computer, local police force information and intelligence, and, where relevant, Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills lists.

From March, registered organisations already using police and child protection checks can apply for high level criminal records checks on employees working with children or vulnerable adults, with the scheme being extended in April to all registered bodies.

But the delay means the NCSC - which will regulate and inspect care services - has had to accept that the registration of care service providers, which must take place by the end of March in most cases, will have to go ahead without staff criminal record checks. Area offices will chase up providers about the checks when the NCSC progresses local registration applications.