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Recruitment of People with Criminal Records Policy

Sarflix Care Recruitment Ltd

1. Purpose

We use the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to check whether candidates are suitable to work with adults and children at risk. The DBS Code of Practice asks every organisation that uses DBS checks to have a written policy on recruiting people with criminal records and to make it available to candidates. This is that policy.

2. Our commitment

• We treat every candidate fairly and do not discriminate because of a criminal record, or because of any other personal characteristic.
• Having a criminal record does not automatically stop someone working with us. The only exception is where a person is on a DBS barred list for the work involved, because placing a barred person in regulated activity is a criminal offence.
• We only ask about convictions and cautions the law allows us to consider for the role, and we ignore protected (filtered) convictions and cautions that the DBS would not disclose.

3. How we handle criminal record information

• We tell candidates at the start that an enhanced DBS check with barred list check is needed for the role.
• We give candidates the chance to tell us about any unspent or relevant record in confidence, before the check comes back.
• If information is disclosed, we talk to the candidate before making a decision, and we consider: whether it is relevant to the role, how serious it was, how long ago it happened, whether it was a one off or part of a pattern, the circumstances, and what has changed since.
• The Director makes the decision and records the reasons. Decisions are never made by an automated system.
• Failing to tell us about relevant information may lead to an offer being withdrawn.

4. Protecting the information

We handle DBS information in line with the DBS Code of Practice and our Appropriate Policy Document. Certificate information is seen only by those who need it, kept in restricted storage, never kept for more than six months after a recruitment decision, and destroyed securely. After that we keep only the certificate number, date, level of check and the decision.

5. Questions

Candidates can ask for a copy of this policy, or talk to us in confidence, by contacting hello@sarflixrecruitment.co.uk or +44 7760 892378. Advice for people with convictions is available from the charities Unlock (unlock.org.uk) and Nacro (nacro.org.uk).