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Agency wrongly brands hundreds as criminals
3 Aug 2009More than 1,500 people have been wrongly given criminal records or had their offences ignored by the government agency which vets applications for people wanting to work with children and vulnerable people, it was reported today.
The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) made 1,570 errors in the 12 months to the end of March - compared with 680 the year before, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The CRB, a Home Office agency, was set up in March, 2002, to check for criminal convictions, cautions and reprimands.
It can also run enhanced checks examining any other "relevant and proportionate" information held by police.
Shadow minister for immigration Damian Green told the newspaper the figures were "very disturbing".
He said: "The CRB should be as vigilant in not hounding the innocent as they are in exposing the potentially dangerous. It is particularly alarming that this has happened since this problem was exposed last year."
The agency's annual report will be published next month and is expected to show it has processed 3.9 million CRB certificates this year.
Home Office Minister Lord Brett said: "The CRB plays a vital role helping to protect the most vulnerable in our society by giving employers the extra tools they need to make informed recruitment decisions.
"In 2008 a further 18,000 unsuitable people were prevented from gaining access to children and vulnerable adults as a direct result of a CRB check, bringing the total to around 98,000 in the past five years"
"The report which will be published in September demonstrates another year of progress and achievement."
Reader views (10)
"More sensible legislation being abused by over zealous jobs worths."
More like marginally sensible (loosely defined and wide open to abuse) legislation being used and abused by those who saw its potential for their own needs.
- Rogan, Irving, 03/08/2009 16:41
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Keith, just out of interest what constitutes as Occasional Light Sexual Harassment in your book? And there's a difference between nicking the office pen, getting a parking ticket and spending most of your life as a paedophile, don't you think? To be erroneously branded as the latter by some idiot in Whitehall is pretty damned serious if you ask me.
- Isabel, Woking, 03/08/2009 16:38
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3.9m certificates processed this year at £60 each is a nice litter earner (or complete waste of money) at £234m
- Adam, Harrow, UK, 03/08/2009 14:23
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Nowadays people are being asked for a CRB check for jobs that have no direct contact with vunerable people. It is just employers prying. Ageism is outlawed and often application forms do not ask a person's age. However, this is usually supplemented by a monitoring form that asks everything bar a person's inside leg measurement. More worrying is how secure is the information you have to give people; I am very dubious that all are "fit and proper" persons.
Man U Fan - 6' 4", 40+, BMI 25 (you can work out my weight yourself from this information).
- Man U Fan, London, 03/08/2009 13:43
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Which of us can honestly say we've never committed a crime? Pinching stationery from the office, illegal parking, unpaid tax on cash-in-hand work, occasional light sexual harassment? We might all be branded unsuitable employees in light of these events. I know I am.
- Keith, King's Cross, London, 03/08/2009 13:34
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How can employers now trust this system? It should be absolutely watertight as there must be employees in trusted positions who have been cleared that should not have been, thus putting vulnarable people at risk.
Again we have a government department mucking it up. And what say do we have of our servants? Nothing as per.
- Rod, Epping, UK, 03/08/2009 11:31
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No surprise here. As it seems nearly every prospective employer demands that new staff are vetted by the CRB regardless of their job role what can you except. More sensible legislation being abused by over zealous jobs worths.
- John David, London, 03/08/2009 11:29
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And people wonder why the idea of an ID card worries me?
- Jim, London, 03/08/2009 10:25
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Progress and achievement!??? They made 1,570 errors. What would they call useless and incompetent? Well what can we expect from the "lights are on but we are not at home" Home Office.
- Patricia, LONDON, 03/08/2009 10:08
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I forsee another drain on the public finances as people sue the agency for beiong turned down for jobs, etc.
- Very Very Angry At Paying Tax For Mp'S Expeses, Home Counties, 03/08/2009 09:39
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