Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Criminal recordsLatest NewsRecruitment & retention

Criminal Records Bureau branded unapproachable by employee procurement agency Commensura

by Greg Pitcher 24 Jan 2007
by Greg Pitcher 24 Jan 2007

The beleaguered Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has been branded “the least approachable organisation in the public sector” by its second biggest customer.

Julian Young, chief executive of employee procurement agency Comensura, said he had grown frustrated at being fobbed off by the Criminal Records Bureau.

He claimed that after several letters to the body, he was finally given a date for a meeting, only for it to be cancelled on the day, and put back by two months.

Comensura buys £250m of public sector staffing and works with recruitment agencies and firms, including the Carphone Warehouse.

Young said: “We have been enormously concerned at some of the gaps in the process used to screen individuals in high-risk roles.”

The Criminal Records Bureau was slammed by recruiters earlier this month when it emerged that more than 27,000 paper files containing details of crimes committed by UK citizens abroad have failed to make it on to the Police National Computer since 2001.

This Home Office blunder means rapists, murderers and other offenders could apply for jobs in the UK and come through CRB checks clean.

Comensura believes its Safeguarding technology can offer a step towards eliminating employer risk from issues such as this. But the firm insists that the CRB will not sit down and discuss the idea.

“The whole principle behind the CRB is to protect the public community,” said Young. “But it has to be the least approachable organisation in the public sector.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

A spokesman for the Home Office said a meeting with Comensura had been cancelled because CRB chief executive Vince Gaskell was on holiday. It has been rearranged for March.

However, the Safeguarding system would not be sanctioned by the CRB. A spokesman said this was because it allowed individuals to take an approval from one job to another, regardless of what they had done in between.

Greg Pitcher

previous post
Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling on Royal Bank of Scotland’s stress unfair dismissal is a reprieve from disaster
next post
Unions agree pay settlement with Dumfries and Galloway Council

You may also like

‘Terrible’ Employment Rights Bill returns to Commons

4 Sep 2025

Connect to Work scheme to benefit 15 areas...

4 Sep 2025

Sandie Peggie launches fresh legal action against NHS...

3 Sep 2025

How to stop flying blind with workforce planning

3 Sep 2025

Ex-Specsavers director suspended over wrongful expense claims of...

3 Sep 2025

Salesforce cuts 4,000 customer service roles as AI...

3 Sep 2025

New ‘failure to prevent fraud’ law a ‘game-changer’

2 Sep 2025

PCs removed from firearms unit after Tallia Storm...

2 Sep 2025

Top 10 HR questions August 2025: Conduct outside...

2 Sep 2025

Nestlé sacks CEO over ‘undisclosed’ romantic affair

2 Sep 2025

  • Work smart – stay well: Avoid unnecessary pain with centred ergonomics SPONSORED | If you often notice...Read more
  • Elevate your L&D strategy at the World of Learning 2025 SPONSORED | This October...Read more
  • How to employ a global workforce from the UK (webinar) WEBINAR | With an unpredictable...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits Live
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise