Basic Disclosure enables recruiters to make safer decisions

Citation

(2003), "Basic Disclosure enables recruiters to make safer decisions", Career Development International, Vol. 8 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi.2003.13708aab.008

Basic Disclosure enables recruiters to make safer decisions

Basic Disclosure enables recruiters to make safer decisions

UK employers can now make safer recruitment decisions with the introduction of a new document that reveals a job candidate's criminal history.

The document, known as a Basic Disclosure, is available to individuals through Disclosure Scotland, established within the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO).

The Basic Disclosure is provided to individuals, not actual or prospective employers, and reveals all convictions considered to be unspent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Basic Disclosure is not job-specific and may be used for any purpose.

The introduction of the Basic Disclosure means that any employer or recruiter can ask a prospective employee to reveal any criminal convictions so that the employer can make an informed judgement about his or her suitability for the work. In addition, prospective employees can demonstrate that they are responsible citizens and employees by producing a Basic Disclosure when applying for a post.

Brian Gorman, Disclosure Scotland manager, said: "Employers and recruitment specialists should be asking themselves how effective their current procedures are for checking the backgrounds of potential employees. Until now, these people have not had access to criminal history information, except in specific circumstances.

"Most employees are, one way or another, placed in a position of trust, so it is important that employers are reassured that a potential employee is less likely to betray this trust. Through the Basic Disclosure, they can get access to any existing criminal records and judge whether any previous convictions are relevant to the position the individual is applying for.

"All disclosures are produced after Disclosure Scotland has carried out careful checks on databases covering not only Scotland, but also England and Wales.

"Employers and recruiters can be assured that, by asking an individual to provide a Basic Disclosure, they are doing everything in their power to make a safe recruitment decision and to protect their interests, their staff, customers and clients."