Becoming a teacher

[thermidorthelobster]

As part of training to teach kids I've already undergone 3 Enhanced Disclosure Criminal Records Bureau checks.  This means that, at considerable expense, the CRB has checked I don't have any records of having done anything illegal which would affect my working with children.  This includes checking with the local police forces for my criminal record, the Sex Offenders' Register, the records for the Protection of Children Act, the Children Act List, the Vulnerable Adults List and anything else the Chief Police Officer would care to declare (such as whether I'd been suspected of anything but not convicted.)  It covers convictions, reprimands, cautions and final warnings.

And they've done this three times now.

So I'm wondering why I've just had to sign a form for the General Teaching Council to say pretty much the same thing;  but this time they're taking my word for it :roll: .  The only reason I can think of is, they want to cover their backside, so if anything were to happen, they could say "ah, but he DID sign a form saying he'd not done anything bad..."

Is it just me or does this appear to be a bit of a pointless waste of time and money?  :?

[beast5680]

my wife runs a pre school setting so she has a CRB for that but when she joined the guides to become a brownie pack leader she needed another, and another when she took them away for a camp, and another when she became a special needs cordinator, they all say the same thing all come from the same office :?  but are they any good? Ian huntley checked out ok for a CRB check so they are not fool proof

[andyhubbard]

It makes the goverment money-last i heard it was £36 ago and i know what you mean i've had FOUR in two years.

[thermidorthelobster]

I don't think it makes anybody any money.  Think of the cost of coordinating all the checks - contacting all the agencies, chasing up, bringing all the info together.

Things have been tightened up specifically because of Huntley.  I'm not sure whether he'd get through again, because now they share information on allegations, not just convictions, in some cases.

[muddy4x4]

I work in a junior school and had a CRB check done when I first started. Now it seemed to take months for the check to come back (everything was ok).Mean while the school had let me start work  :roll:
Now I thought these checks were to protect the general public ?
Or am I missing something ?
As for having the CRB checks repeated, this should be done ! If you leave one job aftering having a check done and start another job. The check has to be done again. Even if it was just a matter of weeks

[Sharpshooter]

Have they checked to see if you drive an Ozone polluting 4x4. :)
 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[thermidorthelobster]

I assumed the way it worked was that once an organisation had had you checked, the CRB would keep them up to date if you were subsequently convicted.  That's not the case;  they get the certificate and then that's it.  It's up to the organisation to keep tabs of what you do then.

I've also noticed people are lulled into a sense of security by the checks, and think the CRB check means people are fine to work with children.  The CRB check doesn't mean somebody isn't a nasty piece of work;  all it means is that they've not been caught doing anything yet.

[Sharpshooter]

I assumed the way it worked was that once an organisation had had you checked, the CRB would keep them up to date if you were subsequently convicted.  That's not the case;  they get the certificate and then that's it.  It's up to the organisation to keep tabs of what you do then.

I've also noticed people are lulled into a sense of security by the checks, and think the CRB check means people are fine to work with children.  The CRB check doesn't mean somebody isn't a nasty piece of work;  all it means is that they've not been caught doing anything yet.

Your right. People do manage to slip through the net.

We had someone at work (Nuclear Energy) who managed to get in. Then after two weeks was escorted from site, and never seen again. I dont know why, but did hear there was a floor in the check. :shock:

[beast5680]

this is even better, as the owner of the preschool setting my wife is supposed to be checked out by a government inspector etc but.. the dept that covers it currently have no guidelines on how to do it :shock:  so they dont  :shock:

what they officially say is "we checked you some time ago and we,ll let you know when new guidelines are in place" this so they can carry out a new check
As the employer she has to ensure all her staff are checked regularly and their checks are up to date but she,s not allowed to check herself :? as the gov dept have to do it which sort of makes a mockery of the system if they dont check the employer

[Red Defender]

i did some work for the salvation army and they required me to fill out the forms 6 times for each job i may have been involved in, which i did but i had to laugh as i had a lady from the CRB ring me up to ask me if they are having a laugh - she also said she wouldn't issue one to them because im an authorized signatory but she would write to them to tell them so and to stop wasting the CRB's time with requesting so many checks for the same person and that 1 every 2 years would suffice !

[MudRat]

Being a teacher, i am CRB checked when i start each new school, the CRB do not inform the school if there are any changes, the GTC is a bit of a waste of time and they have nothing to do with CRB checks or education TBH, good luck with th new Job, what does it involve??

[thermidorthelobster]

Secondary Physics teacher.  11-18.  Mid-sized comp.  Currently I'm in an EBD school though  :shock:

[MudRat]

Fantastic News, 1st year is easier than the training year, and its gets easier the longer u are in a school! Also 13 weeks paid holiday a year helps!

[CNorman]

I am a college lecturer however had to have a crb for vunerable adults.

Have now left education to become a trainee accountant.

[Lord Shagg-Pyle]

I am due to start doing volunteer work for a local charity. I have to have a CRB check done. I have been a cop for over 16 years, been Security checked several times, but still I have to be CRB'd.
I fully appreciate the need for the checks to be done, but surely wouldn't a phone call to my employer suffice?
I am of the theory that there are several departments who don't talk to each other, dealing with the checks, hence the duplication.
Saying that, working for the Old Bill, I shouldn't be surprised at that! :roll:

[thermidorthelobster]

The guidelines are usually that adults who are left alone with children (or other vulnerable people) should be CRB checked.  Many organisations seem to be taking the view that they'll CRB check all and sundry.  If you're not actually going to be left alone with minors then it's generally not necessary.

I get the impression that often it's as much about covering one's backside as child protection.  I'm all for child protection, but the goal doesn't mean that rationality and sense have to go out the window.

[Freelander1980]

The best thing about CRB's is they are out of date the day they get printed.