Voluntary sector reiterates calls for CRB system to be free for volunteers

Friday, 30 November 2012

Volunteering England has reiterated a call for the Government to confirm whether the long-awaited online system that will make Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks portable will be free for volunteers.

In a letter sent today to the Home Secretary (251.8Kb) , Theresa May MP, a group of voluntary sector organisations led by Volunteering England repeats the request made previously in an open letter printed in Third Sector, December 2011.

The online ‘Update Service’ enabling portable CRB checks is a key part of recent government reforms to the disclosure and barring system. The service will allow volunteers to apply for a check once, with recruiting organisations then checking online to see if their circumstances have since changed.

The Update Service, due to go live in spring 2013, has been widely welcomed across the voluntary sector. Charities have long campaigned for checks to be portable between organisations as it has the potential to greatly reduce bureaucracy.

The group argues that by charging to use the new online service, volunteers will be incentivised to apply for a new check for each new role, which are free for volunteers. Not only will this place an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer, it will also thwart one of the main objectives of the reforms, namely to reduce red-tape and bureaucracy.

Justin Davis Smith, chief executive of Volunteering England, said:

‘While we welcome recent efforts to reform the disclosure and barring system, if the Update Service is not free for volunteers government will simply create one problem while solving another. We know removing barriers to volunteering and reducing red tape are priorities for government, and it now has a key opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to supporting those who freely give their time to help others.'