Pay-it-yourself criminal checks

Low paid social care staff are being asked to pay the cost of their
own Criminal Records Bureau checks.

Care home workers are being expected to pay the fee, which for some
amounts to a day’s wage.

The fees are set to rise from £24 to £28 for a standard
check or disclosure, and from £29 to £33 for enhanced
checks. The increase follows a doubling of the rates last
July.

Conservative shadow minister for women Caroline Spelman said she
was aware that this problem was also badly affecting the voluntary
sector, which was having trouble attracting volunteers.

Unison’s social services sub-committee vice-chairperson Jude Lettan
said the union was calling for a “tweak” to the Care Standards Act
2000 so that all employers were obliged to foot the bill for the
checks.