Volunteers will soon benefit from a free service that will allow them to re-use criminal records checks time and time again, the government announced today.
From early next year, millions of employees and volunteers will no longer have to apply for a new criminal records check each time they apply for a job or role.
Instead they will only have to apply once to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a certificate. Organisations can then go online for an instant check to find out whether existing certificates are still up to date.
The move has been welcomed by the Sport and Recreation Alliance, which has lead a drawn-out campaign on the issue on behalf of the sport and recreation sector.
Andy Reed, chair of the Sport and Recreation Alliance said:
“Sports volunteers will definitely benefit from this new service, as many of them work across a range of different sports and activities and they will no longer have to go through the tedious process of applying again and again for multiple CRB checks.
“Sports governing bodies and sports clubs have been struggling with this bureaucracy for quite some time now, and it has always seemed unfair that they should have to pay for a service when they give up so much of their free time to ensure grassroots sport functions and thrives.
“We look forward to seeing this new portable system in action and we’ll continue to look at the various challenges that the criminal records check issue brings to the sector, to ensure that we create a much less burdensome environment for the nation’s sports and volunteers.”
There are more volunteers in sport than any other sector, with 22% of all volunteering taking place in the area of sports and exercise.
It’s also estimated that the economic value of sports volunteering is estimated to be just under £2 billion a year.
For media inquiries in relation to the new service's impact on the sport and recreation sector, contact Libby Jellie, the Alliance’s communications officer on 020 7976 3933.
For more information about how the new system will affect sport and recreational organisations, sports clubs and sports volunteers contact Joy Tottman.
Individuals and organisations can register their interest in the new update service on the Home Office website.
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