Oxford University First Aid Unit
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Oxford University First Aid Unit
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Background checks on members For almost twelve years, Oxford University First Aid Unit has provided both first aid training and event cover extensively in and around the University. In the course of these activities, OUFAU’s members may come into contact with children and with vulnerable adults. The Committee feels that the time has come where in order to safeguard the welfare of the patients under our care we need to obtain a thorough background check (termed a Disclosure) on our volunteers. Due to the nature of our work, this will detail criminal convictions otherwise considered “spent” under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. In order to obtain a Disclosure, we are asking all prospective members to complete an application form at the time of joining. Once the first three pages of this form have been completed, please email us to arrange a time to meet you and complete the final page of the form and to verify your identity against original documentation. Please do not simply return the form to OUFAU’s office as it cannot be countersigned without our meeting you in person. As a registered user of the CRB’s Disclosure service, OUFAU is obliged to observe a strict code of conduct in its handling and destruction of the background information received, a copy of which is provided here. A prior conviction will not necessarily be a barrier to allowing a member to provide event cover, but will be discussed with the member concerned and a balanced decision will be made on the individual’s suitability to contribute to OUFAU’s work. To the best of the Committee’s knowledge, no member has harmed a patient under the care of OUFAU and would like to reassure you that this new policy is not a knee-jerk reaction to a problem that occurred at an event. Rather, it is an additional safeguard to protect OUFAU, its clients, and its patients for the future. The Committee has agreed that no member may provide event cover or run training courses unless we have received a satisfactory Disclosure from the CRB that related to the position involved. The current information we have from the Criminal Records Bureau is that it is currently taking approximately four weeks to process Disclosure applications. Members may wish to obtain a Disclosure before committing themselves to providing event cover for OUFAU. A copy of our letter to members about this new policy is available for download from here, and includes a list of acceptable documentation for verifying one's identity in countersigning Disclosure application forms. |
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