Bureau may charge for criminal checks

The Criminal Records Bureau may charge some volunteers for checks
in a bid to become self-funding, Community Care understands.

It is considering abolishing free checks for people who could gain
direct vocational benefit from volunteering.

But in his annual report, CRB chief executive Vince Gaskill
stresses that the organisation and the Home Office are committed to
continuing free checks for volunteers, although he concedes there
is “continued pressure” on the agency to become self-funding.

Checks on volunteers accounted for more than one-fifth of
disclosures carried out by the bureau and saved voluntary
organisations £17m.

But, with the implementation of Bichard Inquiry initiatives likely
to create extra costs, there is pressure on the bureau to make
savings, the report says.