CRB checks (Disclosures)
What are they?
'CRB checks' are officially known as 'Disclosures' because they provide a means of disclosing whether anyone has anything in their past that would make them unsuitable for looking after children. In England and Wales, Disclosures are managed by the Criminal Records Bureau; in Scotland, by Disclosure Scotland.
At present it is not a legal requirement in the UK that Sunday School teachers and youth leaders should have CRB checks carried out.
However, many ecclesias have decided that for one reason or another it would be prudent to do so.
Typical reasons might be
- It provides some reassurance, if parents do not know the leaders well, that their children will be safe
- Insurers may require that checks be carried out before providing public liability insurance
- Owners of halls or other facilities may require evidence before, for instance, renting a room for a CYC or holiday club
- The ecclesia themselves may decide that it would be wise to be seen to be acting prudently
How to proceed
- If you decide that you wish CRB checks to be made, you will need to go through an umbrella body; you cannot go directly to the CRB or Disclosure Scotland.
- There are many umbrella bodies - you can find them on the internet.
- However, all umbrella bodies are required to get you to agree to policies for, for instance, how you will use the information you receive, and many have policies with which we could not agree.
- In general, umbrella bodies are set up as a business, and make significant charges - typically about £10 for each check they process.
Through the CSSU
For these reasons the CSSU decided to register as an umbrella body, and provide a service to act on behalf of ecclesias who wished to have checks carried out. If you wish to use this service please get in touch with:
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