Verifile is a registered Umbrella Body under the Criminal Records Bureau. This entitles us to countersign applications on behalf of organisations and individuals.

The type of check carried out will depend on the nature of the position applied for including those seeking a position involving working with children, regular contact with vulnerable adults, the administration of the law and certain other professions.

The CRB offers two levels of criminal record checks: Standard and Enhanced Disclosures.

The Standard Disclosure
This is primarily for positions that involve working with children or regular contact with vulnerable adults. It will also be issued in other circumstances such as for those providing health services and for those entering certain professions such as accountancy. These are some of the excepted professions, offices and employments referred to in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Standard Disclosures contain details of all convictions on record (including spent convictions), plus details of any cautions, reprimands or warnings. For positions involving working with children, the Standard Disclosure will also give any information contained on government department lists of people considered unsuitable to work with children. These lists are held by the DfES and DH.

(Spent convictions - A person convicted of all but the most serious criminal offences and who receives a sentence of no more than 2 years in prison, benefits from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act if they are not convicted again during a specified period. This is called the rehabilitation period. In general terms, the more severe a penalty is, the longer the rehabilitation period. Once a rehabilitation period has expired and no further offending has taken place, a conviction is considered to be spent.)

The Enhanced Disclosure
This is for those regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of children or vulnerable adults. Enhanced Disclosures will also be issued in respect of other positions such as those seeking judicial appointments, and certain statutory licensing purposes.

All Enhanced Disclosures involve an extra level of checking with local police force records in addition to checks with the Police National Computer (PNC) and the government department lists held by the DfES and DH, where appropriate. Local police information can be contained on both copies of the Disclosure. It is up to the Chief Constable of the relevant police force or forces to decide what, if any, information is disclosed. Chief Constables can decide that some information may be relevant to the position but do not wish the prospective employee to see the information. This information will be sent separately to the person who countersigned the application only.

For how long will Disclosures be valid?
Each Disclosure will contain the date the Disclosure was printed. Disclosures do not carry a pre-determined period of validity because a conviction or other matter could be recorded against the subject of the Disclosure at any time after it is issued. Organisations are advised to make recruitment decisions as soon as possible after receiving their copies of Disclosures.

How long does it take to obtain a Disclosure?
On average, over 90% of Standard Disclosures are completed with 2 weeks, and over 90% of Enhanced Disclosures are completed within 4 weeks (upon receipt of a fully completed and valid Disclosure application form - that is with all the information necessary to complete the application.)

How much does it cost?
£47 for a Standard Disclosure and £52 for an Enhanced Disclosure.