During your journey through work, education or volunteering you may apply to work with people who are considered to be vulnerable. When you apply to these jobs, organisations will often check to make sure you’re suitable for the role. These can be in the form of applications and interviews, but you may also be asked to undergo a ‘criminal record check’ with Disclosure Scotland (but don’t worry – this is very common!). Disclosure Scotland then checks and shares information about people’s criminal records with employers, ensuring that the applicant is able to work with vulnerable people.
We know that, for Care Experienced people, these processes can feel a bit nerve-wracking, and you might not always know how to fill out some of the details you may be asked. Therefore, together with Disclosure Scotland, we’ve put together 4 handy tips when applying for a disclosure check!
1. No address history, no problem!
Disclosure Scotland asks for a five-year address history. It’s important to submit the full address of where you currently live, but if you can’t remember the details of the places you have stayed in the last five years, simply write ‘no fixed abode’. If you can’t remember the street or number, Disclosure Scotland will also accept ‘homeless’ or the name of the town you stayed in. If you can’t remember the postcode, you can simply use ‘XX1 1XX’ which helps to process the application.
2. How to get around different surnames
If you don’t know your mother’s maiden name, Disclosure Scotland will just ask you to put in your own surname. If you’ve moved around a lot (for example, between families) and you’ve been known at certain points by that family’s name, there is a section that asks the question: ‘any other names known by’. Disclosure Scotland will ask you to put any name that you might have been known by in the past, which helps them to identify who you are.
3. If in doubt, reach out!
Who Cares? Scotland can support you to apply for disclosure. You can speak to your advocacy worker, or phone or email our helpline which is open 12 noon to 4pm from Monday to Friday. Phone 0330 107 7540 or email help@whocaresscotland.org.
You can also speak to Disclosure Scotland directly, or you can ask your advocacy worker or anyone who is supporting you in your application to contact them on your behalf. Phone 0300 020 0040 or email response@disclosurescotland.gov.scot.
