The latest research, carried out by Ipsos MORI, with organisations and individuals who use the service and of attitudes towards the CRB by members of the general public, show that:
- satisfaction of organisational customers is at a record high, with 94 per cent now satisfied overall including 37 per cent very satisfied with the service provided by the CRB;
- satisfaction of Disclosure Applicants is at a high level with almost nine out of ten (87 per cent) applicants satisfied with the application process;
- overwhelming public support (91 per cent) for CRB checks on those working with children and/or vulnerable adults in a paid or voluntary capacity;
- in 2008, around 18,000 unsuitable people were prevented from working with children and/or vulnerable adults as a direct result of a CRB check, bringing the total to around 98,000 people in the past five years;
- the CRB is making a positive difference in protecting children and vulnerable adults; and
- CRB checks are a useful part of the recruitment process and can help improve confidence in organisations' recruitment decisions.
Chief Executive of the CRB Steve Long said:
"This independent research highlights the good work the CRB does everyday to help organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors to identify candidates who may be unsuitable to work with children or other vulnerable members of society.
"I am pleased that we have delivered real benefits and service improvements to our customers during the past 12 months. We will continue to work hard to ensure the CRB continues to do so."
The Secretary of The Scout Association, David Shelmerdine, said:
"The Scout Association takes the protection of young people extremely seriously and the CRB plays a vital role in helping us fulfil this duty.
"The survey results confirm our own positive experience. They show that the majority of employers and organisations, including ourselves, recognise that CRB checks play an important part in the protection of the most vulnerable in our society."
Last month, the CRB announced that it would be reducing the fee for Standard Disclosures from October this year with total savings to customers of £1 million.
The fee reduction, made possible due to an expected increase in the volume of applications being processed as the new Vetting and Barring Scheme goes live in October, means the cost of a Standard Disclosure will drop from £31 to £26.
