Childrens Chaperones

[Ynot]

Aplogies for responding to ancient posts but given the thread has been resurected

Yes, you're right. It has surfaced that contrary to what we were told way back then, a CRB MAY not be applicable for different locations/employers etc. Which to be honest is madness, and is also driving our county CPS team insane at times!

 

BUT as far as the cost is concerned, whilst you are again right that CRB checks do indeed cost real money, in some counties, (eg Warks) the CPS teams are offering (at the moment, certainly) free CRB for anyone registering as a chaperone.

I'd hate to think how much it would cost the users of our venue if they had to pay for this, as some of them have quite a high number of kids - think dance schools with 150-200 pupils! That little lot usually requires 20 or so chaperones to run the blighters properly!

[James]

Aplogies for responding to ancient posts but given the thread has been resurected

Yes, you're right. It has surfaced that contrary to what we were told way back then, a CRB MAY not be applicable for different locations/employers etc. Which to be honest is madness, and is also driving our county CPS team insane at times!

 

BUT as far as the cost is concerned, whilst you are again right that CRB checks do indeed cost real money, in some counties, (eg Warks) the CPS teams are offering (at the moment, certainly) free CRB for anyone registering as a chaperone.

I'd hate to think how much it would cost the users of our venue if they had to pay for this, as some of them have quite a high number of kids - think dance schools with 150-200 pupils! That little lot usually requires 20 or so chaperones to run the blighters properly!

 

 

Of course- your organization uses volunteers doesn't it - If applying for a CRB check for a volunteer the CRB doesn't charge at all (ref: http://www.crb.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4667 ) Your umbrella body can though still charge an admin fee which it looks like your umbrella body doesn't (nice them) Warwickshire County Council Education for example appears to charge £10.00 to £19.99 for a check http://www.crb.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=1163

 

Out of interest, why do you think it is madness not for a CRB to be applicable for different locations/employers etc? Do you actually understand what one is and why the results of a check have to be kept in strict confidence, why employers have to have a storage and disposal policy for them and how it would destroy the whole redemption and rehabilitation part of the ROA act if this was not the case?

 

 

James

[Ynot]

Out of interest, why do you think it is madness not for a CRB to be applicable for different locations/employers etc? Do you actually understand what one is and why the results of a check have to be kept in strict confidence, why employers have to have a storage and disposal policy for them and how it would destroy the whole redemption and rehabilitation part of the ROA act if this was not the case?

In some ways, I find this a little patronising - intended or otherwise. :)

 

Of course I understand what a CRB is, and why they're required and why they are carried out.

I've been CRB checked (and more) for some years for various official reasons, both day-job and theatre.

 

My point, however, is that it seems madness for different employers/groups to have to insist on seperate CRB checks in what may be a relatively short space of time, often inconveniencing individuals in the process. For example - teachers. A teacher has a CRB, and many are re-checked annually (though not all schools do that). My wife is a teacher at a WCC run school, but had to have an additional CRB carried out after she was told the rules for teachers as chaperones had changed last year, despite the fact that her school checks were not that old. We saw this as a pointless exercise. Similar instances have occurred to other people in other areas.

[bruce]

My point, however, is that it seems madness for different employers/groups to have to insist on seperate CRB checks in what may be a relatively short space of time, often inconveniencing individuals in the process.

 

The reasoning is straightforward - it is a check that is done by an employer (or similar). The dialogue is between the employer and the CRB people - the person being "checked" is NOT IN THE LOOP. If the person being checked was able to say "It's OK, I've been checked before, here's my 'not-a-perv' certificate, you don't need to check me again" then how is the employer to know if the certificate is genuine or fake, or indeed if it has been rescinded?

 

My understanding is that in practice there is actually a little leeway - if someone is being "checked" and they state that they have been checked before and give details, then it may expedite the process a little. But the dialogue between the employer and CRB still needs to take place.

 

Disclaimer: I'm in Scotland, the process is a little different here - we've got "Disclosure Scotland" rather than CRB. But the principle is basically the same.

[Ynot]

The reasoning is straightforward - it is a check that is done by an employer (or similar). The dialogue is between the employer and the CRB people - the person being "checked" is NOT IN THE LOOP. If the person being checked was able to say "It's OK, I've been checked before, here's my 'not-a-perv' certificate, you don't need to check me again" then how is the employer to know if the certificate is genuine or fake, or indeed if it has been rescinded?

But that's my point.

In my personal example (my missus) the authority in question on both sides (school and application on behalf of theatre) is and was WCC. Other instances are similar.

 

As for how they know if a certificate is valid, every CRB is numbered and referenced and can be easily checked by the powers that be.

 

Simple.

 

Don't get me wrong - I accept that there will be good reasons for some (many) double-checks, but there are quite a few that do seem rather pointless at the end of the day.

[djd776]

1] The Isle of Wight has the following details regarding Backstage Chaperones:

 

http://www.iwight.com/council/publicServic...asProcess=False

 

 

They are the official guidlines issued by the council. They are similar if not identical to all guidlines issued by all councils around the UK.

 

 

 

 

2] Also get hold of the :

<H1 id=contentStart>The Children (Performances) Amendment Regulations 2000 : Statutory instruments 2000 10 (ISBN 10 0110857968).</H1>

http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore.asp?AF=...ctID=0110857968 to order it online.

[houghw]

Dear all,

 

Thank you very much for a very interesting thread and for answering my specific question.

 

From the information given here I've managed to put the fear of god up the society although this was helped by rumours that another society in Luton got their wrist slapped for licence irregularities (the licence said 4 children but the show included 7!)

 

I try to produce a regular production e-mail for the society and Chaperones are now a regular feature and hopefully we should do it right from now on.

 

Once again thanks ;)

 

Wayne