From the 2004 Bichard Inquiry report (see page 15 and 16):
New arrangements should be introduced requiring those who wish to work
with children, or vulnerable adults, to be registered. This register – perhaps supported by a card or licence – would confirm that there is no known reason why an individual should not work with these client groups.
The new register would be administered by a central body, which would
take the decision, subject to published criteria, to approve or refuse
registration on the basis of all the information made available to them by
the police and other agencies. The responsibility for judging the relevance
of police intelligence in deciding a person’s suitability would lie with the
central body. The police, as now, would be able to identify intelligence
which on no account should be disclosed to the applicant.
Employers should still decide, based on good selection procedures, whether or not the job required the postholder to be registered and should retain the ultimate decision as to whether or not to employ.
The central body would have the discretion to ignore any conviction
information judged not to be relevant to the position in question.
Individuals should have a right to appeal against any refusal to place them
on the register and that right should be exercised before any information is made available to a third party.
The register should be continuously updated and available to prospective
employers for checking online or by telephone.
The register should be introduced in a phased way, over a period of years,
to avoid the problems associated with the introduction of the Criminal
Records Bureau (CRB).
The DfES, in consultation with other government departments, should
decide whether the registration scheme should be evidenced by a licence
or card (page 154).
Responsibility: The DfES, the Department of Health and the Home Office
So now 10 years on, we don't exactly what the Bichard Inquiry recommended. It's better than it was and the DBS update service has improved it, though the information provided by DBS update is:
(Source: CRBOnline.gov.uk)
This Certificate did not reveal any information and remains current as no further information has been identified since its issue.
This means that the individual’s Certificate contains no criminality or barring information and no new information is available.
This Certificate remains current as no further information has been identified since its issue.
This means that the individual’s Certificate did contain criminality or barring information and no new information is available.
This Certificate is no longer current. Please apply for a new DBS check to get the most up to date information.
This means that the individual’s Certificate should not be relied upon as new information is now available and you should request a new DBS check.