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Recruitment, DBS and Rehabilitation of Offenders Policy

It is a requirement of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)'s Code of Practice that all Registered Bodies and organisations using their service must treat Disclosure applicants who have a criminal record fairly and do not discriminate because of a conviction or other information revealed. It also obliges organisations to have a written policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders.

  1. As an organisation using the DBS to assess applicants’ suitability for positions of trust, Withington Child Contact Centre complies fully with the DBS Code of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly. It undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed.

  2. Withington Child Child Contact is committed to the fair treatment of all volunteers and families regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, responsibilities for dependants, age, physical/mental disability or offending background. It selects volunteers based on their skills, qualifications and experience.

  3. All volunteers are required to have a DBS check to Enhanced level. Enhanced disclosures ask questions about an entire crimial record. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar someone from volunteering at the centre. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offences.

  4. All DBS applications are processed by the Minister and the Church Safeguarding Officer for Withington Methodist Church. The DBS checks and disclosures are handled on behalf of Withington Methodist Church by the Churches Agency for Safeguarding and, if necessary, the Northwest District of Methodist Churches in Greater Manchester.

  5. If an application to volunteer at the centre is subject to disclosure information, the final decision as to the suitability of the applicant rests with the Methodist Connexional Safeguarding Advisory Panel. This decision will be taken in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and will be after discussion with the applicant. 

  6. This policy is reviewed annually and was last reviewed in March 2024.

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