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Enhanced CRB checks/Mental Health?

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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I didn't realise a pharmacy check was included in an enhanced CRB, but most application forms only ask directly about convictions so if I've disclosed that I have a history of mh difficulties, but say I have no convictions (because I don't) that's OK?

    Sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick. Anything to do with job applications stresses me out right now.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You don't need to disclose anything if you're not specifically asked. I was under the impression that pharmacy was similar to registering as a solicitor, you have to declare anything that might not make you a "fit and proper person" and some mental ill-health can fall into that category.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you've got no convictions, then you are absolutely fine to say no convictions. IIn this case it's more of a fitness to practise thing.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ah. Have re-read and engaged brain.

    I think I'm slightly hungover nothing makes sense today.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Garfield29 wrote:
    I'm sorry for taking so long to respond to this thread and wish to thank those of you who wished me well. I have to say I am DISGUSTED at G-Raffe's attitude and perhaps should guide this person to the many websites such as 'time to change' that are trying to fight stigma and discrimination about mental health.

    You don't have to have a mental health problem to be suicidal. It is normally due to circumstances that are more social/criminal against the person feeling suididal. Majorly depressed patients often die due to neglect of themselves rather than suicide - an organic problem not a 'psychological' one.

    Just because somebody has been suicidal does not mean that they are not very good at their jobs. That's like saying because you have the flu one week, your performance at work is always the same as you were when you had the flu - people get better! If you're suicidal I reckon you'll be off work sick anyway! I would say that people who have had problems in their lives are actually often in a better position to work in caring professions as they have genuine insight into certain problems. This is not saying you can't be a 'doctor' or 'phamacist' if you've never been ill, people bring different skills and different qualities according to their backgrounds (health, race, sex) in all areas of life, and it is these differences which make society function at its best.

    As for Enhanced CRB's - they are disgusting. I have contacted everyone regarding mine, from human rights (my right to privacy has been taken away) to my MP. I have been told it will always be on my CRB. There is someone on here who has commented on a friend's section not showing on theirs. Its only the enhanced CRB's which are subject to this, plus if the section was by a doctor not the police it will not be on the CRB. I have a friend who has been sectioned numerous times, but because is has been done by the medical profession she has nothing on her CRB (ironically she is allowed to go back to work in the same hospital that I was sacked from the day she comes off section). However, if its the police who do the section, or who are involved in anyway in an suicide attempt (the same person I know jumped off a bridge - but the ambulance was there not the police) it will be on your CRB.
    I agree with what you're saying here and everything, however my mate took a near-fatal overdose when he was in his mid teens, I'm not sure if the police were involved were not, but it came up in his CRB for a sports placement with a primary school that he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act (he was given the placement but wasn't allowed to be left near the kids alone lol), so the police do sometimes get informed even if they're not involved, it all depends on how much contact the authorities have with eachother.

    Anyways, apparently enhanced CRB's are getting changed anyway. Apparently the Tories reckon they're too draconian, but so far they haven't taken any action yet.
    Garfield29 wrote:
    The only option you have is as has previously been said - do a subject access request from the police, and then fess up prior to the CRB request - you can only hope you have understanding none risk averse potential employers. It really doesn't matter to its relevence. I used to be a teacher - I asked if it would be on my CRB for that too as I would not have any access to medication, the Police chief told me yes as I may take an overdose in front of the class?????!!!! The fact I have worked successfully in teaching and in healthcare for over 10 years with no incident and I was good at my job did not matter.
    What the.......?

    What police force is this? You should make a complaint about such a discriminatory comment. A lot of people attempt overdoses, most people who survive turn out to be okay. This police chief must be a dinosaur.
    Garfield29 wrote:
    I'm still homeless, jobless and have been told will never work again with my CRB - to be quite honest, makes you want to go out and commit a crime to deserve the punishment. Failng that - I have every intention to take my qualifications this country paid for and use them abroad.
    Not every employer discriminates against mental illness, and only a select amount of jobs even require an enhanced CRB disclosure. Have you considered retraining? Fields like IT, engineering, many scientific jobs, do not even ask for a CRB check. Only stuff which involves contact or care over the vulnerable does. You can still get a job in an office, as offices don't ask for the enhanced disclosure, and if they do then they are violating the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and possibly the Disability Discrimination Act.

    Good luck on emigrating, if that's what you're doing though. What country are you thinking about going to?
    G-Raffe wrote:
    Have you ever thought about applying for a job which doesn't require a CRB check?

    I'm sorry if you thought my comments were bang out of order, but having recently come back from Afghanistan I can safely say that there are some situations where people with mental health problems should not be employed, for their own and the safety of others.

    You can direct me to as many websites as you want, however whilst in many situations peoples pasts should not get in the way of employment, I'm arguing that in some cases it does make sense not to employ someone
    I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but are you talking about the armed forces here? If so, it's been made well clear that they generally don't accept people with a history of mental ill health unless it's a once-off. It's obvious why.. because you have access to live weaponry and the lifestyle (constantly away from home) is stressful, and stress + firearm may mean a mentally ill person may put himself/herself and others at risk. I don't actually think anyone disputes that?

    But that's hardly the same thing as teaching, pharmacy and most other jobs that ask for an enhanced CRB disclosure. Mental illness can be managed through drugs or psychological therapies. Someone in a crisis will take time off work, much like someone with a physical illness.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Threxy wrote: »
    I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but are you talking about the armed forces here? If so, it's been made well clear that they generally don't accept people with a history of mental ill health unless it's a once-off. It's obvious why.. because you have access to live weaponry and the lifestyle (constantly away from home) is stressful, and stress + firearm may mean a mentally ill person may put himself/herself and others at risk. I don't actually think anyone disputes that?

    But that's hardly the same thing as teaching, pharmacy and most other jobs that ask for an enhanced CRB disclosure. Mental illness can be managed through drugs or psychological therapies. Someone in a crisis will take time off work, much like someone with a physical illness.

    What about a teaching job where the kids are working their ticket, you have had some bad stress at home, say loss of a family member and you have some form of turn. As for pharmacy jobs it has been mentioned that in some cases a previous overdose attempt can look quite dodgy on your cv, once again if for whatever reason you have a lot of stress in your life and access to drugs, its like being in the armed forces but not as bad, you said they have access to weapons and put others at risk, as far as Im aware medication could be just as harmful a weapon even if unintentionally dispensed wronglt.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    G-Raffe wrote: »
    What about a teaching job where the kids are working their ticket, you have had some bad stress at home, say loss of a family member and you have some form of turn.

    It is very rare indeed that I would let my mental health issues affect my job. I would hope that if I was at the point where it WOULD, I would have been signed off well before I let myself have a "turn" at work. Plus anyone who has just lost a family member is unlikely to be at work, don't you think?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    G, you're talking rubbish about teaching. There's no reason why someone who has a history of mental ill-health cannot be a teacher. In that case the enhanced CRB is to make sure that they don't have a history of child sex abuse.

    With regards to medicine and pharmacy, it IS a reasonable fitness to practice consideration to ask about mental ill-health. Not from a stress point of view but from an access to prescription drugs point of view; it's very easy for doctors and pharmacists to help themselves to powerful prescription drugs and you don't want someone with a history of substance misuse or suicide attempts having that access without a proper risk assessment.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    G-Raffe wrote: »
    What about a teaching job where the kids are working their ticket, you have had some bad stress at home, say loss of a family member and you have some form of turn.

    It's not as simple as you make out. Aside from the fact that with some people, such as myself, it can take a while for it to come out and become severe, I doubt anyone who was that ill would be working.
    t has been mentioned that in some cases a previous overdose attempt can look quite dodgy on your cv

    eh? Since when did you have to put that kind of information on your CV? None of my disabilities are mentioned on my CV.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    replace cv with crb
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Read this and thought of this thread:

    http://www.alastaircampbell.org/blog/2011/06/30/guest-blog-revealing-mental-health-discrimination-in-crb-checks/

    Sorry for dragging this back up again, just thought people might be interested.
  • littlemissylittlemissy Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
    Me having had a mental illness has not affected my ability to teach. The children are safe in my classroom and they are all learning as per expected. I take offence that you think I can't do my job properly because I suffer from mental health issues.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well exactly.

    I know I've been turned down for a job before because of my history. Cannot prove it but I'd swear blind they looked at my "confidential" health questionnaire before turning me down. And there's also the case of bullying out of a previous job.

    Hey ho.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Having had mental health problems doesn't necessarily mean you aren't fit to teach, but equally, there is the potential that someone might not be and thus that needs to be assessed.

    Someone having a physical health problem doesn't necessarily mean they're not fit to teach, but equally, particular circumstances might make them unsuitable and that also needs to be assessed.

    Someone having a criminal record doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't fit to teach, but again, it needs to be assessed.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    With regards to teaching, I would think that someone who had previously had mental health difficulties are more than likely to have skills such as compassion, a supportive attitude, determination and of course strength. I'd have no problem whatsoever in my unborn spawn being taught and influenced by people like that.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hi - I will make an educated guess here, and am sure that others will correct me if I'm wrong. My guess is:

    I don't think the NHS records will show up on the enhanced CRB, but anything held by the police will (whether on the national computer, or at local stations). So anytime the police were involved, then those occasions would show up on an enhanced CRB, provided they recorded your details correctly at the time. And if you apply to be registered by the ISA then an enhanced CRB will be run.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Just to point out that it has been nearly a year since someone last posted in this thread before yourself, so the issue in question might have been resolved by now. Though your advice and contribution is appreciated. Its always worth checking out when a thread was lasted posted in.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks G-Raffe, gonna close it now :d
This discussion has been closed.