New Disclosure Application Form
29 December 2006
The following replicates information which is contained on a letter being issued to all countersignatories on Friday, 29 December 2006.
Following the issue of the above letter and the undernoted information, we received a number of enquiries relating to E5 & E6 and E7 & E8 on the new application form - please click HERE for additional guidance.
Over the last 18 months we've been working with our stakeholders to revise the Disclosure application form in order to improve the layout and content of the form and to meet our legislative requirements.
The attached document includes a copy of the new application form and you can view the form HERE. Please contact Disclosure Scotland for an application form, do not print or download the PDF as these cannot be processed.
The most significant changes to the form are:-
- All boxes highlighted in yellow are mandatory fields. You must provide information in these fields or your application will be returned to you.
- Pages 3 and 4 have been reversed so that all the Parts which require to be completed by the applicant run consecutively. All sections in Page 4 are now under a heading Part E.
- Page 4 has been colour coded to further distinguish the Parts which require to be signed by the applicant and the Registered Person (Countersignatory).
- Page 4 "Position Applied For" has been extended to two lines (E2 & E3) to allow organisations to not only provide details of the post title but a brief detail of their duties, for example, TEACHER – EDUCATING CHILDREN IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS. In addition, the new section on list searches (E7 & E8) means that Childcare or AAR need no longer be added in field E2 - you have simply to tick the appropriate boxes.
- The form introduces two new sections which require information to be confirmed by the Countersignatory. These are Yes / No boxes.
- The first of these two new sections (E5 & E6) require confirmation that an exempted question, as laid down by The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, can be asked and if the post is for a prescribed purpose as described in The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records)(Scotland) Regulations 2006 (Regulation 9 refers).
- The second section (E7 & E8) relates to list searches and confirmation of which lists require to be searched. This removes the requirement to complete Childcare or AAR in the "Position Applied For" field (E2).
- Confirmation of Identity now recommends at least three forms of identification be evidenced to meet the Bichard recommendations. At least one should be photographic, one should contain address confirmation such as a utility bill and one other. It is, however, recognised that not all applicants may be able to meet the identification recommendations, for example, they may not have photographic ID or a utility bill in their name. This does not mean they cannot obtain a Disclosure Certificate. In such a circumstance it is for the organisation to satisfy themselves as to the identity of the applicant.
- The umbrella body section (E16) has been reduced in size.
Revised guidance notes will be circulated to all Countersignatories, when they request copies of the revised forms, to assist in completion of the revised form and in future to all new Countersignatories. However, for reference purposes, the "Disclosure Guidance for Registered Persons and Employers" is available HERE.
New applicants’ guidance notes for the revised form will be issued with the revised forms. Again, for reference purposes, the Applicant's Guide is available HERE.
There will also be amendments to the Disclosure Certificate, including:-
- The heading "Reprimands, Warnings and Cautions" will be replaced by ‘Cautions’ to fall in line with legislation.
- A new heading entitled "Other Government Information" will confirm if the relevant lists for Childcare/Adults At Risk have been checked (where applicable) and the outcome of these checks.
- The logos currently at the bottom of the Certificate are being removed.
- The rear of the Certificate will also change to reflect these changes. This will happen in due course since we require to exhaust existing stock of the blank Disclosure Certificates. It is anticipated that this will take place in late February 2007.
Disclosure Scotland is aware that this is a major change for organisations and hope that this article helps in assisting during the period of adjustment.
You should continue to use your stock of the current application form. The Disclosure system will be capable of working with both the current and new versions although it is planned that the use of the current version will be phased out in the middle of 2007.
Should you have any enquiries on this matter, please CONTACT US.
