Recommendation R21: Enhanced Disclosure for school staff
From The Bichard Inquiry Report, published 22 June 2004.
Recommendation
All posts, including those in schools, that involve working with children, and vulnerable adults, should be subject to the Enhanced Disclosure regime.
In brief (written by this site)
The Home Office reported in May 2007 that regulations brought into force in September 2006 meant all posts within the school environment were entitled to an Enhanced Disclosure (Home Office, May 2007). The department had previously accepted the recommendation in its December 2004 progress report, explaining that revised proposals to broaden disclosure criteria for those working with children and vulnerable adults had been endorsed by stakeholders in July 2004 (Home Office response, Dec 2004).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
About this summary
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The record reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.
Government response
The Criminal Justice Act 2003 provided for existing criteria in the Police Act 1997 regarding Enhanced Disclosures to be repealed, and for their replacement under new regulations. The following activities have now been completed. 6.27 Proposals for new criteria were published in December 2003, for consultation purposes. These broaden the scope of criteria concerning those working with children and vulnerable adults. A consultation was concluded in June 2004 and the responses analysed. This showed substantial support for the thrust of the proposals, but suggested additional proposals for broadening the criteria further. Revised proposals were put to the CRB interdepartmental Major Stakeholders Group and endorsed in July 2004.
Blanket government agreement does not establish acceptance or delivery by each addressee. Some response passages cover groups of recommendations.
Scope of the government response
The Government accepted all 31 recommendations collectively: the Home Secretary's written statement of 11 January 2005 records that "All 31 recommendations were accepted by the Government when the Inquiry reported in June 2004". No document states an acceptance decision for any single recommendation. The response shown against each recommendation is the Home Office's answer to it in the first progress report, sent to Sir Michael Bichard on 22 December 2004 and placed in the Library of the House on 11 January 2005. The Government then reported against the recommendations three more times, in November 2005, May 2006 and May 2007; the updates shown are taken from those reports.
Delivery
Home Office says in progress (22 May 2007)
Regulations were brought into force in September 2006 that mean that all posts within the school environment are now entitled to an Enhanced Disclosure.
From: Bichard Inquiry Recommendations: Fourth Progress Report
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Home Office
Response, delivery statement