Criminal Records Bureau Disclosures For Care Home Staff

EDM number 1679 in 2002-03, proposed by Liam Fox on 15/09/2003.

That this House notes with concern the statement issued by the National Care Standards Commission on 21st August announcing that the interim guidance for care home operators issued in June was to be completely withdrawn from the end of September; is further concerned that care home operators will therefore not be able to employ new staff unless a Criminal Records Bureau clearance has been received; concludes that the enforcement of the new arrangements, which will commence on 1st October, will therefore lead to further care home closures and misery for residents of those homes and their families; endorses the importance of CRB disclosures as one element of the recruitment procedure set out in Schedule 2 to the Care Home Regulations 2001, but considers that the interim guidance issued by the NCSC in June is a far more appropriate and pragmatic approach to the security clearances for care home staff; considers it both sensible and practical that care home operators should allow staff to begin work, subject to robust employment procedures and supervision, while awaiting their CRB disclosure to be issued; condemns the Government's continuous and intrusive interference in the implementation of CRB checks for care home staff; and recognises the need for a properly thought-through approach to the conduct of criminal records checks for care home staff.

This motion has been signed by a total of 38 MPs.