Announcement made – criminal record checks to be relaxed

The Home Office has announced that job applicants will no longer have to be confronted by elements of their criminal past being exposed to employers.

For individuals applying for posts in England and Wales, minor cautions and convictions will no longer be listed as part of the check. This announcement follows a ruling in January by the Court of Appeal who argued that blanket checks did not comply with human rights laws.

The ruling suggests that convictions that have not resulted in a custodial sentence will be stripped out of checks after 11 years (for adults) and five and half years for young offenders.

All serious offences including those of a violent and sexual nature will continue to be disclosed.

In December 2012 the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) merged to form the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This new organisation provides a joined up service to combine the criminal records and barring functions, with further legislative changes to follow later in 2013/2014.

New Directions has a fully-trained Compliance team based within their head office in Cardiff. The team is responsible for ensuring that all candidates who apply to work via the business are fully vetted and comply with all industry standards, including completion of a DBS.