REC requests vetting and barring overhaul

The REC were raising these concerns based on feedback they have received from their members, which suggests the current system is unworkable, especially considering that the working practices of contractors and freelancers are flexible by nature.

This would suggest that the criminal vetting system should be as flexible as those it serves, and this means supporting the need for contractors to be able to respond quickly to client requirements. All too often, though, this is held up by the CRB checks.

Another flaw in the current system is the high costs which are often involved for recruitment agencies who have to conduct these checks every single time someone is offered a job. This often results in multiple checks being conducted on the same candidate in relatively short spaces of time.

The examples used by REC's Anne Fairweather included agency nurses, supply teachers and locum doctors. These individuals will often need to register with many agencies to increase their chances of finding work. They will, however, have to go through the same disclosure checks each time.

REC recommends the CRB checks sit alongside a more rounded system of qualification verification, identity checks and interviews. However, the coalition government has just suspended plans to introduce a remodelled vetting and barring system.

Crystal Umbrella's Director of Service Delivery, Scott Illingworth, believes that robust vetting procedures are a necessity. Over the last 12 months, Crystal has conducted extensive vetting and identity checks, alongside face to face inductions with each individual contractor.

This thorough approach protects the individual from any risk of identity theft as sensitive personal information is verified in person and the documents returned to the individual immediately. Crystal are the first umbrella company in the UK to boast such stringent vetting procedures. The were voted the best umbrella company 2009 by readers of freelancesupermarket.com.

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