Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 1.2.3.2 of Schedule 2 to the Compass contract for accommodation for asylum seekers in the North-East, Yorkshire and Humber region, what arrangements are in place to ensure that all contractor staff and sub-contractors who are likely to have contact with service users are subject to criminal records bureau and disclosure checks prior to working under that contract; who is responsible for applying such checks; and what the pass rate was for any such checks in 2015-16.

It is the responsibility of the COMPASS providers to ensure that all staff recruitment meets required contractual standards.

Criminal record checks are obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Eligibility is reserved for a limited range of sensitive roles, most of which involve working closely with children or vulnerable adults. It is the individual who is the subject of the check who must make the application to the DBS, but this application has to be sent via a “registered body” (often the employer) which is responsible for checking eligibility and identity. It is for individual employers and regulators to consider the content of checks and to use that as part of their decision making process.

Providers are monitored extremely closely to ensure that they undertake appropriate risk assessments in relation to their employees and that there is no risk posed to service users.

The COMPASS contracts include measures to ensure any issues are quickly addressed. On a monthly basis providers, in their report to the Contract Management Group, record the detail of personnel changes including specific reference to vetting and disclosure requirements. Personnel who do not meet the requirements cannot be engaged in providing the services. Implementing the requirements and ensuring that all the required pre employment checks are undertaken is completed by the Provider – monthly monitoring of the process is undertaken by both parties at the Contract Management Group.