Research Ethics Committee

Criminal Record Checks

It is now a requirement by law for both student and staff researchers to undergo Criminal Records Checks when in a position of trust or and/or as part of their studies.

UCL students on the following programmes are automatically contacted about these checks:

UCL also organises checks for the following voluntary groups:

Positions of trust are roles that involve contact with children (someone who is under 18) or regular contact with vulnerable adults (as follows):

– regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of those aged under 18;

– regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of a vulnerable adult defined as follows:

a person aged 18 or over who receives services of a type listed in paragraph 1) below and in consequence of a condition of a type listed in paragraph 2) below, has a disability of a type listed at 3) below.

A vulnerable adult for the purposes of an Enhanced Disclosure is a person aged 18 or over who receives services of a type listed in paragraph (1) below and in consequence of a condition of a type listed in paragraph (2) below, has a disability of a type listed at (3) below.

  1. The services are:
    1. accommodation and nursing or personal care in a care home;
    2. personal care or support to live independently in his or her own home;
    3. any services provided by an independent hospital, independent clinic, independent medical agency or National Health Service body;
    4. social care services; or
    5. any services provided in an establishment catering for a person with learning difficulties.
  2. The conditions are:
    1. a learning or physical disability;
    2. a physical or mental illness, chronic or otherwise, including an addiction to alcohol or drugs; or
    3. a reduction in physical or mental capacity.
  3. The disabilities are:
    1. a dependency upon others in the performance of, or a requirement for assistance in the performance of basic physical functions;
    2. severe impairment in the ability to communicate with others, or
    3. impairment in a person's ability to protect him or herself from assault, abuse or neglect.

Being employed or involved in other work which is concerned with the provision of care services (2) to vulnerable adults (3) and which is of such a kind to enable the holder of that employment or the person engaged in that work to have access to vulnerable adults in receipt of such services in the course of his normal duties.

(2) “Care services” means i) accommodation and nursing or personal care in a care home (where "care home" has the same meaning as in the Care Standards Act 2000); ii) personal care or nursing or support for a person to live independently in his own home; iii) social care services; or iv) any services provided in an establishment catering for a person with learning difficulties.

(3) “Vulnerable adult”, in the context of a Standard check, means a person aged 18 or over who has a condition of the following type: i) a learning or physical disability; ii) a physical or mental illness, chronic or otherwise, including an addiction to alcohol or drugs; or iii) a reduction in physical or mental capacity.

Any researcher to whom this applies, and who is on a programme not listed above, must seek advice and an application form from the Deputy Divisional Administrator, Academic Registrar's Office, Rm G18, South Wing, Wilkins Building, UCL, who can be contacted on tel: 020 7679 3203 or email.

It is imperative that researchers to whom this applies take action promptly. It can take a month or more to arrange and complete the check; but it is important that researchers have received their clearance before entering a position of trust.

Please note that UCL, in accordance with CRB guidelines, does not accept portability of CRB checks which UCL staff or students may have from previous organisations as proof of satisfactory clearance. The policy can be found under Section 5, Process, Section 5.4 on the HR website

Further information about criminal record checks is available on the official CRB website.

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