The Future of Disclosure

Without dwelling on recent adverse press coverage we thought it would be good to remind people, in a positive way, just why Disclosure Scotland is such a vital service today. We asked Brian Gorman to highlight for us how, why and when it came into being?

“Disclosure Scotland came into being on 29th April 2002 as a result of an amendment to the Police Act known as Part V of the Police Act 1997. The aim of this legislation was to widen the access to Criminal History information. A disclosure service was previously provided by the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) under Scottish Office Circular 4 of 1989 but this only covered those with substantial access to children working in the Public Sector. Part V of the Police Act provides the disclosure service to people working with children and adults at risk in the Public, Private and Voluntary sectors. It enables employers of such workers to make safer and more informed recruitment decisions.”
We wondered what Brian Gorman believed to be the most important factors of Disclosure Scotland in terms of service provision and the resulting benefits for service users?
“Processing timescales and quality are the two factors of the disclosure service of paramount importance. Usually the Disclosure is required as part of the recruitment process so the sooner we can process it the sooner the employer can make their recruitment decision and the sooner the applicant can start their new job. We have a self-imposed processing target to complete 90% of applications within 14 days. Since September 2004 we have consistently met this target. We are proud of this achievement and we know that, in turn, this helps our customers to recruit efficiently.”
As the readers of Care Appointments Scotland are all workers (or aspiring workers) within the care sector, and are represented across the entire spectrum of grades and disciplines, we asked Brian to underline for us how care sector workers themselves benefit from the existence of Disclosure Scotland?
“Although turnaround times are important, the quality of information disclosed is also important.  The details provided could determine whether someone gets a job or not and we appreciate the importance of getting it right first time. A lot of work is done before a Disclosure is produced to ensure that the information provided is as accurate and up to date as possible.
“It is hoped that the Disclosure process in itself acts as a deterrent to unsuitable individuals seeking employment in the care sector. Those working in an environment where disclosure is required should be reassured that their colleagues have all undergone the same process and that they can carry out their duties confidently, trusting others to do theirs in a similar manner. We would hope that the disclosure process enhances existing professional standards and competencies lending greater confidence in the care profession overall.
“Disclosure Scotland has been working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and the Scottish Executive on the recommendations made by Sir Michael Bichard following his Inquiry into the Soham murders. Although Scotland came out well from the Inquiry, we can never be complacent when it comes to the protection of children and adults at risk.
“A great deal of work is being done to ensure we comply with the recommendations. The most notable recommendation for the disclosure service is recommendation 19 i.e. the setting up of a Central Vetting and Barring Scheme. This will have the effect of reducing the number of checks required and putting in place a mechanism for notifying employers when subsequent convictions are recorded. Other recommendations include increasing the number of databases we can access both for confirmation of an applicant’s identity and for criminal record checking. The ability for Disclosure Scotland to access conviction information from foreign countries is also being pursued.”{mospagebreak}
We asked Brian to tell us of any changes or developments to the Disclosure Scotland service that are either underway or planned for the near future.
“New legislation for Adults at Risk similar to that implemented last year for the Protection of Children will be introduced in the near future. We are in the process of amending our application form to make it easier to complete, hopefully resulting in fewer errors being made and less forms being rejected. The new form will have check boxes to confirm whether the lists of individuals disqualified from working with children or adults at risk have to be checked. Although we currently have the facility to apply for a Basic Disclosure on-line we have not yet developed this facility for Standard and Enhanced. We are investigating the introduction of this facility in the near future.”
Speaking of the future, we wondered where Brian saw the service going in the short to medium term? What is the vision for the future of Disclosure Scotland?
“Short to medium term Disclosure Scotland hopes to consolidate the existing service whilst planning and preparing for the changes we are already aware of. We are looking to review our current processes and make improvements where possible. Our Compliance Team has recently been extended and we hope to be able to examine our Registered Bodies more thoroughly and develop closer relationships particularly with the Central Registered Body in Scotland who deal with all applications for the Voluntary Sector in Scotland.
“The future of Disclosure Scotland depends largely on government policies and new legislation. Certainly we see the service growing. Disclosure Scotland will play an integral part in the proposed Central Vetting and Barring Scheme and, although the governance of this organisation has not yet been decided, the Enhanced Disclosure is the first requirement for entry to the Scheme so there will necessarily be some linkage and co-operation between the two organisations.”