Undertaking CRB checks

[Neill Cooper]

How do people undertake CRB checks for adult helpers at Junior Chess Clubs?
We used to use a local charity but they have stopped operating this facility.

[Charles W. Wood]

How do people undertake CRB checks for adult helpers at Junior Chess Clubs?
We used to use a local charity but they have stopped operating this facility.

Use this link to find somewhere local, most should only charge the admin fee for volunteers. http://www.crb.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=349 Call me if you need more.

Regards
The Bradford Blatherer

[Scott Freeman]

CCF (Coulsdon) were previously a registered body but, like the ECF, lost that status when the CRB suddenly decided to insist that you had to do 300 a year to remain a directly linked organisation. We then registered with a group that does them on a sub-contract type basis and can do CRB's for anyone who wants them done. In fact, the ECF regularly send people to us for them to be done. Yes, I do need to see people face to face to do it properly and ideally that means travelling to Coulsdon, but I also have a job in charge of Chelsea Supporter's away travel, so you always have the option of checking fixture lists, etc. A few months ago, someone travelled from York to meet me outstide St James's Park, Newcastle! Up and coming away games include Blackburn, Hull and Bolton. And I can usually tell you which service station we'll be stopped at as well. For reference, voluntary staff are done free by the CRB but because of costs charged by the sub-contractor plus our own postage etc, we have to charge £15. If you are earning from your chess activities, then the £48 fee becomes £55. Feel free to contact us if we can help.

[John Upham]

I use Wellington College, Crowthorne, Berkshire.

WC is an ECF Centre of Excellence and is very geared up to promote chess education of young people at the College or its environs.

An accredited ECF coach has had his last 10 CRB checks done at WC very efficiently.

We've noticed that many schools require a CRB check for each individual school even though you could be holding nine current ones!

I can provide the contact details of the CRB Officer if you wish?

John

[John Upham]

I had an ECF FM ring me today asking for advice inorder to become CRB cleared to teach in schools.

Is there any easy way to use your post code to find the nearest CRB checking facility?

This particualr coach is from the Durham area in case anyone can provide specific help with this enquiry?

Thanks for your help!

[Neill Cooper]

Use Charles's excellent link. There are various I found in Durham, on the 'Northwest' page

Use this link to find somewhere local, most should only charge the admin fee for volunteers. http://www.crb.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=349

[John Upham]

All,

Just noticed the following on the BBC News site

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8153251.stm

Any comments?

My personal CRB extended clearance is due for renewal. Should I renew it or make use of the new scheme?

[Alex Holowczak]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8153251.stm

Any comments?

O brave new world.

[Rob Thompson]

For our club, there has been a letter sent asking parents if they have any problems with the adults helping the Juniors. If anyone does complain after, it means the club can say "Look, you signed to say it was ok"

[John Upham]

For our club, there has been a letter sent asking parents if they have any problems with the adults helping the Juniors. If anyone does complain after, it means the club can say "Look, you signed to say it was ok"

and if one of adults turned out to have been Brian Ratcliff Eley or someone whose convictions had not been disclosed to the club (but were a matter of record)?

How would the club cope with that? I suspect it would be terribly damaging for that club.

In fact, there is a recent case of this happening to a well known club : this is known to some members of this forum.

Of course, passing a CRB check does not prevent someone transgressing the law.

[Rob Thompson]

In that case, the club had asked the parents whether they were ok for their children to be with these people. If the parents had signed thier children into the hands of a convicted person (highly unlikely), then their signature would carry some weight. But like you said, a CRB check actually does very little, and for a number of years we've been quite happily operating without.

[JustinHorton]

Why checks are required

[Sean Hewitt]

In that case, the club had asked the parents whether they were ok for their children to be with these people. If the parents had signed thier children into the hands of a convicted person (highly unlikely), then their signature would carry some weight. But like you said, a CRB check actually does very little, and for a number of years we've been quite happily operating without.

I dont get this. If one of the adult helpers did prove to have convictions that a CRB would have disclosed, and someone decided to sue, it would be the individual members who could be financially liable unless your club is a limited company. I'm no lawyer, but I would be surprised if your parental waiver would stand up in court.

A CRB check costs £12 so why not just get it done to be safe?

[David Sedgwick]

All,

Just noticed the following on the BBC News site

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8153251.stm

Any comments?

My personal CRB extended clearance is due for renewal. Should I renew it or make use of the new scheme?

The relevant legislation is the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

I am the ECF Representative on the Central Council of Physical Reprsentation and in that capacity I attended a CCPR Seminar on this subject a few weeks ago.

The implementation of the legislation has been deferred until the second half of 2010. I hope that the ECF will be in a position to issue guidance later this year, based on CCPR guidance. However, this is to a large extent dependent on promised guidance emerging from various Government departments.

The new provisions do not relace the current CRB checks; they are in addition to them. Whilst it is possible that some people who currently need CRB checks may not require them in the future, we were clearly advised at the seminar that anyone whose CRB certificate becomes due for renewal in the next twelve months should proceed to renew it as hitherto.

I hope that helps.

[Rob Thompson]

A CRB check costs £12 so why not just get it done to be safe?

The problem is more the time rather than the money. I think it is also far more relaxed down my way (South Devon) than in other places around the country. At our club, it's small enough that all the parents know the helpers reasonably well on a personal level. This would probably be different if the club was much bigger