CRB Checking

[Bouncy Dancefloor]

Hello, i am looking to get myself CRB checked, i swear people have told me the cost is about £150 a time

However ive started to do research into it and it seems to cost about £50 for an "Enhanced" check which sounds amazing. Or do you have to pay for the basic + Standard + enhanced checks?

But i think im missing something here? I know i cant do a check on myself unless a school etc ask me, thats not a problem, i can do this

Also does anyone have any tips for me? Any recommendations on companies they used for their CRB checks?

Thanks
Pete

[milo]

Go to any local employment agency and ask them to do it for a small fee. I used Adeco, then the school did one, then the Scouts did one…… Now I have several?

[sleah]

I know i cant do a check on myself unless a school etc ask me, thats not a problem, i can do this

You can't check yourself! A school can ask your permission to do a check, and maybe ask you to pay for it. But then every school (or similar) you work in have to do their own checks.
Suffice to say, a school will not ask you to get a CRB check.

A CRB is NOT transferrable between organisations.
The exception (well not exactly) is an 'umbrella' agency as mentioned.

Also one organisation cannot ask for details of a CRB from another organisation (although they may be able to say whether or not they have done you, but not the result), so telling the scouts you've been checked by a school won't work and it's unlikely they will accept seeing a copy you may have obtained yourself.

It's a difficult area with no easy answer, something that does need to be addressed for freelance folk, especially given the current climate of everyone needing a check.

Although not ideal, it is absolutely right that these checks are done, the system isn't perfect and really needs alot of work, and is no guarantee, but if it protects one child from one incident, it has all been worthwhile.

[Vectis]

The problem with a CRB is it's like an MOT ... you could've been in court and convicted of something the day after the certificate landed on your doormat. A personally-held CRB is a statement that once-upon-a-time you weren't a convicted perv

The onus is on the hiring organisation to carry out a fresh CRB with your consent to be 100% squeaky.

The fact that applications can take 6-8 weeks (plus the cost!) makes them less viable in this game.

I guess if you intend working with kids/VAs on an ongoing basis there'd be no harm in getting one done every year and building up a 'portfolio' to show a "full service history" in due course?

[UltraBeat Entertainment]

Although not ideal, it is absolutely right that these checks are done, the system isn't perfect and really needs alot of work, and is no guarantee, but if it protects one child from one incident, it has all been worthwhile.

I agree.

It seems different companies do it different ways. When a local teacher i know joined a nearby school they sent her details off to the the police and they done the checks and sent back a certificate but when i had a CRB done the details were sent off to a government agency to check, who then sent back 2 certificates (1 for the employer and 1 for me).

I guess if you intend working with kids/VAs on an ongoing basis there'd be no harm in getting one done every year and building up a 'portfolio' to show a "full service history" in due course?

I believe this is already the case. Most teachers/ carers are required to get re-checked every 3 years.

[Vectis]

I believe this is already the case. Most teachers/ carers are required to get re-checked every 3 years.

Mrs VV is a state teacher and she was last checked 5 years ago.

The onus is on the school/organisation to instigate the check, not the employee.

[One Vision]

Unless your working with kids unsupervised whats the actual point in getting a check done?

[Vectis]

Unless your working with kids unsupervised whats the actual point in getting a check done?

3 reasons spring to mind.

1. Whilst you may be supervised, it only takes an accident or similar issue to grab the attention of the supervisor(s) and you're then effectively unsupervised.

2. The CRB covers work with vulnerable adults, not just kids.

3. Some use it as a selling point, and others a negotiating point, blissfully unaware of the gotchas. A bit like PAT & PLI being "legal requirements" I guess

[One Vision]

Arr right I get you, I probably wouldn't pass a check anyway as I do have a criminal record but nothing remotely related to that kind of thing.

My daughter had to have a check done through college this year as she is an infant school helper on like a day release, I think we had to pay £30 but not sure if that was subsidised by the college or not as my daughter is registered disabled.

[sleah]

Arr right I get you, I probably wouldn't pass a check anyway as I do have a criminal record but nothing remotely related to that kind of thing.

You don't pass or fail as such, it's a check which returns information. You may find that as you say your conviction has no bearing on working with children it may not be an issue, but then again it might!