CRB remains on track to meet Bichard targets

Michael Bichard’s recommendation for everyone working with
children and vulnerable adults to require a Criminal Records Bureau
enhanced disclosure will be met by next April, it said,
writes Amy Taylor.

The commitment comes in the CRB’s annual report for 2004/05
which outlines the bureau’s plans to meet Bichard’s
recommendations over the current financial year.

Bichard’s recommendations are contained in his inquiry report
published in June 2004.

The report states that at present subject to the discretion of the
headmaster a person can commence employment in a school prior to
the completion of CRB checks as long as there has been a check of
List 99 or an earlier check by the Teacher Training Institution.
List 99 is a list of people who are considered unsuitable to work
with children.

Bichard also recommended improvement to the checking of overseas
applicants. The CRB commits itself to doing more work to achieve
this and says that a clause has been inserted into the Serious
Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 giving them powers to disclose
information recorded overseas on an enhanced disclosure.

The Bichard inquiry was set up following the conviction of Ian
Huntley for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in
Soham, Cambridgeshire.

Criminal Records Bureau Annual Report and Accounts from: www.crb.gov.uk