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Public backs criminal record checks
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The public overwhelmingly supports criminal record checks on volunteers working with children, Government research shows.
More than 90% of those surveyed said they backed checks on volunteers and a similar percentage said they would be prepared to undergo such checks themselves.
A report last year found red tape and unnecessary criminal record checks were deterring volunteers from coming forward.
The Commission on the Future of Volunteering called on ministers to remove bureaucratic barriers to charity work.
But in a Home Office-commissioned poll, more than 70% asked said they thought checks by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), which holds criminal records data, deterred criminals from applying to work with children or vulnerable adults.
A similar proportion thought criminal checks would catch paedophiles and other unsuitable adults trying to get access to children.
But nearly one in five people expressed concerns about how accurate and up-to-date CRB data was.
Figures released last year showed more than 12,000 people found inaccuracies in their CRB files.
The Home Office estimates criminal records checks have prevented more than 80,000 people working with children and vulnerable adults.
Identity Minister Meg Hillier said: "This research clearly destroys the myth that people are put off volunteering by CRB checks. Most people are only too willing to be checked and understand it protects children and vulnerable adults."
Reader views (1)
Oooh, 'The Home Office' and 'Accurate data' - now there's two expressions that you very, very rarely see used in the same sentence!!
I suppose that in truth we should actually consider ourselves all very lucky that The Home Office hold any data whatsoever and stop worrying whether it is realistic or not as they currently seem to be far more effective at losing it than they are at maintaining it accurately....
- Andi-M, London, England Innit!, 07/01/2009 04:59
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