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CRB check needed to help kids club?
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hello
I have been helping at a kids sports club for several months without a CRB check being mentioned. I also train with the club which is how I ended up helping the kids class too. I just ended up helping the kids if I arrived a bit early and now I help with the whole class if I finish work in time. Today a friend was really shocked that I was allowed to help the kids class without having been asked to get a CRB check done.
Is it a legal requirement that all helpers who work with children have a CRB check? I have had several enhanced checks done (the most recent was about 18 months ago) and I am not worried about having one done now if it is needed so that isn't an issue. I was just a bit surprised that someone was so shocked I was being allowed to help with children without the club running a check, especially as the kids parents are always present. I never take the class nor am I ever the only adult present as the instructor and parents are always there too so I assumed that I wouldn't need to be CRB checked.
Just wondered if anyone knew if it was policy for anyone who is just helping out must be CRB checked. As I said it isn't an issue should the instructor want me to get an up to date one or provide a copy of my most recent but am more interested in whether it should have been asked for already.
Thank you
I have been helping at a kids sports club for several months without a CRB check being mentioned. I also train with the club which is how I ended up helping the kids class too. I just ended up helping the kids if I arrived a bit early and now I help with the whole class if I finish work in time. Today a friend was really shocked that I was allowed to help the kids class without having been asked to get a CRB check done.
Is it a legal requirement that all helpers who work with children have a CRB check? I have had several enhanced checks done (the most recent was about 18 months ago) and I am not worried about having one done now if it is needed so that isn't an issue. I was just a bit surprised that someone was so shocked I was being allowed to help with children without the club running a check, especially as the kids parents are always present. I never take the class nor am I ever the only adult present as the instructor and parents are always there too so I assumed that I wouldn't need to be CRB checked.
Just wondered if anyone knew if it was policy for anyone who is just helping out must be CRB checked. As I said it isn't an issue should the instructor want me to get an up to date one or provide a copy of my most recent but am more interested in whether it should have been asked for already.
Thank you
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Comments
This applies for working jobs, qualified staff or not and also for voluntary sector such as girlguiding & scouting, youth clubs etc.
To be honest, it is really bad practice that the person in charge has not requested a CRB clearance. I bet a lot of parent's wouldn't be too happy with that. It is also very common that the actual workplace or manager will want to request their OWN CRB e.g. you have to fill out the forms etc all over again rather than just accepting one from another organisation.
God yes.
In fact, alarm bells should start ringing when places don't ask you to complete a form.
Hmmmm, I think I'd still prefer the staff to be checked, though.
If you are an casual helper, do not work unsupervised with children, are never alone with them and do not act in loco parentis then there is no need for you to have one.
The important bit is not to get yourself in a one to one position with a child (as in out of sight of others), but that's good practise for everyone, CRBd or not.
What a sad state of affairs we're in...
I know it's never been 'glorious' and children have never had it better than they do now, but the fact that an adult needs to be careful not to be caught alone with a kid because they might be accused of god knows what...
I'm about 99% sure it is now law for all organisations to carry out their own seperate CRB, which is understandable but can be ridiculous at times - to the point where I recieved one week for one organisation and the following week I had to fill out a form for another!
In reply to the original post - you aren't being left alone with the kids so I don't see an issue.
As a teacher we are advised to be careful when we are alone with a single child. Sometimes you are alone with a child and we are advised to leave the door open or, in some cases, have a TA milling about.
We had an incident in school last year where a parent accused a teacher of hitting their child. Now, said teacher would never do such a thing and it was the child's word against the teacher. Eventually, after police interviews and the like (for the teacher) the child backed down and said he made it up.
You can never be too careful sometimes.
So I expect you need one too, although if you had one done 18 months ago it should still be valid. Didn't you get any paperwork?
CRB forms have no valididity, they are only good as the day they are done, it's advised by CRB that they shouldn't be transferred from one organisation to another, mainly for that reason, and for voluntary stuff they are free.
Delays in getting back CRBs can also be a big problem, as well as the expense of getting them.
I wasn't aware they weren't transferrable, but then all my checks were done in-house.
It goes on to explain how people doing work experience or similar things do not count as voluteers as that is primarily for their own personal benefit. Am I right in thinking your voluntary service dept is something to do with the IB? In which case doing service for your IB would count as personal benefit.
If you went direct to Riding for the Disabled and they needed a CRB from you then they wouldn't be charged for it, if that makes sense?
If you volunteer direct with a charity for no personal gain then the charity won't have to pay for CRBs they get done for you.
That's what as Mr G says, Scouting get pretty much all of theirs done free. Some organisations chose to run their CRBs through an agency, and the agency charge for all of them but if you deal direct with CRB then they are free for volunteers.
That said, still puts people off, they are notorious for coming back wrong, and there is a very poor general understanding of what comes up, particularly on an enhanced one which can often make anyone who have ever had their collar felt or had any dealings with the authorities wary of filling in the forms.
That and the forms are a nightmare, all well and good if you live at one address and have a photocard driving license and current passport but if not then proving your identity can start to be a real hassle.
its possible, but i think the benefits outweigh the risks.
CRB check teachers etc, but the way things are going now where some people expect any adult who's not a parent and gets anywhere near a child to be CRB checked and you start putting people off helping out at the odd session. Lose that level of volunteering and you lose the way most people start.