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This Christmas I’ve been invited by a local school to take the organ round for a burst of carolling.
Am I safe?
Can I be trusted to play for the parents and children?
Years ago there would have been none of this suspicion with everybody being ‘guilty’ unless they could prove themselves innocent.
I haven’t been told that I do need checking but many people in other parts of the country have.
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New rules state that from next year people working with children “frequently” will have to be vetted and registered. Until the registration scheme comes into force, government advice to schools is that checks should be carried out only on parents whose volunteer work brings them into contact with children at least three times a month.
Three times a month sounds a reasonable cut off point.
But……
Some schools are opting to err on the side of caution and are enforcing vetting systems for one-off activities.
The school here in Bourne End obviously realises that Christmas is a ‘once a year’ activity!
However not all…….
A primary school headmaster at Somerton in Cambridgeshire, said checks on the two dozen parents volunteering to walk his 330 pupils to the carol service at nearby St John’s church on December 17 were necessary — even though they will be accompanied by teachers and a police community support escort.
A primary school in Norwich is insisting on the checks for parents who want to attend its Christmas disco.
Some schools require checks on parents who volunteer to walk with children from the school to post letters to Father Christmas.
I think this sets up a really negative relationship which can put off adults and gives the children the message that either adults don’t want to be involved in their lives at all, or that all adults have got to be mistrusted and you can’t have faith in anybody.
All of the parents should organise their own event for the kids & ban the teachers from attending. See how they like not being trusted
I have CRBs for the different locations where I work. When the check was delayed (it takes about 6 weeks) I was told I could still work, if I was not alone with a child, ie walking to the carol concert. These checks cost about £60 per person, so I'm thinking common sense should prevail here. In situations where I am alone with a vulnerable person, they are entirely appropriate and I would not expect it to be otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThis whole thing has gone much too far and common sense is getting ignored. If you haven't been asked for one then I wouldn't raise the subject. It's their problem, nit yours.
ReplyDeleteI was annoyed when I had to have a CRB check because I had ONCE helped with church children.The fact that they were doing it retrospectively really made me feel like a suspect but if I had objected then they would have thought I must have something to hide. And of course, now that I have been checked, they can get me to help in the future, which I never really ever wanted to do anyway. Hmph!
You and I are sensible Kath, a lot of other people are taking this to extremes.
ReplyDeleteThe key words are "alone with".
I read only today about plumbers having to be checked to carry out repairs at a school. How daft can you get. I also read some time back that some of the top names in children’s publishing - including Philip Pullman, Anthony Horowitz, Michael Morpurgo and Quentin Blake - have refused to register their names on this new government database.
They said they will stop visiting schools in protest against the new vetting scheme. So unfortunately it is the children who are losing out.
Hi Foody, I was typing away to Kath and you pipped me to it.
ReplyDeleteSo it should read "Kath, Foody and I" are all sensible about this.
It was not intended for a one off event. It is about having regular access and as Kath says 'alone with'.
I'm sure you don't really mind helping out with the children...
it's only once in a while.
My point exactly Bernard, someone walking to chapel or performing on the school stage is under the watchful gaze of others and I would have thought a CRB would not be necessary. By the way, if you havent worked in the setting (for which the CRB was obtained) for 3 months, it expires and you would need another check (another £60) for the next contact, albeit a one-off. My employer pays for mine, but I have heard of agencies who pass the cost to the employee. Surely these checks should be free?
ReplyDeleteWhat does a "check" consist of? We have to be fingerprinted to work with 4-H kids. That's an agricultural kids club. About half the parents who were 4-H leaders quit when this rule was pushed through, not because they had anything to hide. They just objected to being treated that way.
ReplyDeleteI think it's less effective to teach kids and parents to assume the government is taking care of them, than to just suggest ways they can watch out for themselves. I've never heard of a volunteer at school here who has abused children (though it may have happened). It's most always a teacher.
Oh, and another thing: I had to be fingerprinted to work at my education job, even though in 15 years I have never worked with a student. I do computer work on assessments. Then I had to be fingerprinted again for 4-H because information isn't shared. So not only is it silly, it's inefficient.
Hi Jan,
ReplyDeleteI have no exact details of what goes on, perhaps Kath can tell us more. There is no fingerprinting, although some schools are asking for photo identity.
All I know is that under new rules, all adults coming into regular contact with children are forced to undergo a criminal record check. The regulations – imposed by the newly-formed Independent Safeguarding Authority – will affect an estimated 11.3 million people. (quote from Telegraph)
Prof Furedi said that CRB checks did not "provide anything like a cast-iron guarantee that children will be safe with a particular adult".
"All it tells us is that the person has not been convicted of an offence in the past," he said.
So if you have no criminal record....they assume....rightly of wrongly....you are cleared to work with children.
What puzzles me Kath is why it costs £60? It is either a very poor database or someone is out to make a bit of money out of this.
I am just looking at my CRBs now. CRB stands for criminal records bureau, whom I presume, gets the £60 each time a check is requested. It is an enhanced disclosure, which looks at the following "Police records of convictions, reprimands and final warnings, Information from the list held under the Section 142 of the Education act 2002, protection of Children Act/Protection of vulnerable aduts list Information and Other relevant information disclosed at the Chief Police Officers discretion". I did not have to provide finger prints, but the usual proof of identity, passport, utility bill etc. The CRB is valid for 3 years (unless I move house) in both cases a new one is applied for.
ReplyDeleteJust as an aside, we all remember Ian Huntley, the school care taker who murdered those 2 little girls. Apparently, a previous caution/conviction went un-noticed as he had lived in another area at the time. I believe at the time, the checks did not cover the whole country as they do now and were only regional checks.
ReplyDeleteIt is a ridiculous state of a affairs isn't it? There are so many things that I used to do at school that would be impossible now if these ideas had been in force then!
ReplyDeleteHopefully all htis will prewvent another Ian Huntley going undetected before it is too late.However any adult who wants to abuse a child will find a way, regulations,checks or no.It's a sad world we now live in where people still talk about paedophiles being rehabilitated..they're psychopaths who prey on children and can't be rehabilitated.
ReplyDeleteI understand the need to protect children but also the frustration of people who just want to do something worthwhile and useful
In the Sunday papers there does at last appear to some 'common sense' on the way.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/majornews/6797770/Vetting-rules-climbdown-after-public-backlash.html
This has been an active post. Thanks for all your views and comments