Background to the Criminal Disclosure and Criminal Records Service
1. Gwynedd Council’s policy is to appoint the best person to every vacant post. Consideration is given to candidates of various backgrounds including those with criminal backgrounds. Criminal records will not be considered during the recruitment process if the offence is not relevant to the post applied for.
2. All individuals interviewed for a post in the Council, or employed by the Council on a temporary basis will be required to disclose details of all unspent offences, including those awaiting a verdict, apart from minor driving offences. Also, for those posts that are exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) Order 1975, every individual who is interviewed for any post or who is employed on a temporary basis by the Council is required to disclose details of offences that are spent (see Appendix 1).
3. The Council will undertake a thorough risk assessment of vacant posts in order to decide whether or not they are exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) Act 1975 and, therefore, there is a need for a Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). A Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is required in order to undertake regulated activity.
4. As a DBS registered body, Gwynedd Council has committed to the DBS’s Code of Conduct and will ensure that candidates are treated fairly and equally at all times. Gwynedd Council is also committed to the DBS’s Code of Practice for storing and destroying Disclosures and any information deriving from them.
5. The Support Services, Corporate Directorate procesess and monitors the DBS applications of Council Staff through the e-bulk electronic system of the Safeguarding and Disclosure Barring Service. Processing through the system involves:
- No paper forms to be completed
- The ability to complete a form using web-connected equipment whether computer, laptop, android or iPhone
- Your data is automatically validated online thus eliminating most application errors
- A reduction in the time involved in administering your disclosure Process
- The application is sent online directly to the DBS
- The result of the check coming back much sooner
6. The Support Service will support by:
- Establishes all candidates in the system and will send a secure username and instructions by email
- Send automated reminders through the system to applicants who have not completed a form
- Send automated reminders through the system to verifiers who have not verified candidate information
- Email Manager to disclose disclosure result / information
- Answer any valid inquiry that requires attention
For any queries please email DesgAdnoddauDynol@gwynedd.llyw.cymru and a member of the team will get back to you.
Follow this link to access Gwynedd Council's Safeguarding Policy.