Q. Can offers of employment and volunteering posts be made before checks are completed?

It would be an ideal situation to have criminal records checks completed prior to any offers of employment being made or engagement of volunteers.

KDT also recognise that delays in obtaining these checks could be detrimental to recruiting volunteers or employed staff.

All applicants for drivers and passenger assistant roles should be told that a police check is required and a request should be made that they provide the identification documents. Whilst the check is being completed, volunteers could receive training (including MiDAS) and then be asked to accompany other staff or volunteers as part of their induction.  If the result of the checks reveals that the volunteer is unsuitable, their services can be discontinued.

In the case of paid staff, if you directly asked the question “Have you got any criminal record?” and they have confirmed that they do not have any record, a job offer could be made subject to satisfactory references (use the paragraph below as well).

This organisation requires drivers and passenger assistants to be of good repute and this will be determined by a police criminal record check.  If such a check reveals that you are not of good repute this contract may be terminated with immediate effect.

If a very serious criminal record is revealed, it will be necessary to back track over the whole of the time that the volunteer or new staff member has been working for the organisation to ensure that no ‘contacts’ have been made, etc.   For this reason all work done by the volunteer or staff during the period prior to the arrival of the result of the check should be directly supervised.