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Press and TV news stories recently have been full of stories about people convicted or charged with child abuse when working in a position of responsibility, or committing similar offences against vulnerable adults. Processes for checking and vetting workers and volunteers have changed over the years, and in 2017 we’re now mostly aware that people require to be DBS checked before starting work. There is a lot of confusion though about who can get checks done and in what circumstances an individual can ask for checks to be done on someone close to them.

If you’re applying for a job or voluntary position, you may have seen the terms PVG or Disclosure Scotland bandied around. The police checking process for applicants to work with children or vulnerable groups in Scotland is different from other parts of the UK, and the organisation which administers the checks and sends out the certificates is called Disclosure Scotland.

The NHS is the UK’s biggest employer. 1.4 million people in the UK work for the health services in some way, and although many of them will be in clinical jobs such as being a nurse or pharmacist, there are many thousands more working in support roles in management and administration. Working for such a large organisation has its benefits, but certain disadvantages too, so if you are thinking of a career change for 2017, or just fancy doing something a bit different for a career here’s what you need to know about taking a job with Britain’s biggest employer.

The process for carrying out police checks on workers and volunteers is constantly evolving, and it can be confusing for both workers and employers to keep up with what they are supposed to do, and when. The situation becomes even more complex where an individual needs DBS clearance for various situations – for example someone who works part time as a nurse, then volunteers to help out at their children’s school and with football at the weekend. Do they need three separate DBS checks to be done? And how often should those DBS checks be redone or updated?

There are an estimate 10 million people in the UK who have some sort of criminal record, ranging from serious career criminals with a string of convictions to someone who shoplifted as a teenager and has stayed out of trouble ever since. Many of us never think about past misdemeanours or minor brushes with the Police until they are asked to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for a new job which involves working with vulnerable groups such as children. A criminal record doesn’t automatically rule you out from working in these types of jobs, and each case is considered on its merits by the employer. A minority of people will be in for a surprise when they are issued with their DBS certificate only to see inaccurate or completely wrong information listed. How does this happen and how can it be put right?

It can seem strange to think of fostering as a career, and it’s certainly true that most people who go into this line of work are doing it for reasons other than the money. The role of a foster carer is to look after other people’s children of all ages and circumstances. Sometimes, foster care arrangements are within the family, such as an aunt or grandparent looking after a nephew or grandchild, but often a foster carer has no blood relationship with the child or children they are looking after. Some foster carers look after children for short periods while a parent is in hospital or temporarily unable to care for their child, and others have children for much longer periods.

Football has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently, with allegations that coaches of junior teams in the past managed to abuse children without the authorities doing anything about it. Since the first adults came forward in November to tell their stories, hundreds more have told Police across the UK about their experiences, and investigations are ongoing. The one question most people have is about how on earth this situation was allowed to happen.

The Police forces responsible for carrying out criminal record checks on people who have applied to work or volunteer with children or other vulnerable people have hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons when it emerged that some people are waiting for a staggering eight months for the applications to be processed.

It’s one of the biggest costs associated with having a baby – the costs of getting someone to care for your children when maternity leave Is over and you must go back to work. There are many options for childcare, and the right one for you will depend on your individual circumstances and how many children you have.

Around 15 million people in the UK – or one in four of the population – volunteer on a regular monthly basis. Voluntary roles vary hugely, from home based roles answering email enquiries or working on a phone helpline, to regular shifts in charity shops or delivering services to all groups in society. Volunteering doesn’t have to mean giving up huge amounts of your time either as most modern charities have flexible programmes which allow people of any age and circumstance to help them out. If one of your New Year’s Resolutions for 2017 is to undertake volunteering, then you’ll be pleased to discover there are many advantages to doing so.