Thank you Martin for a sensible, straightforward and informative briefing.
Can I add to it some information that may prove useful for self-employed
educators and smaller museums. Then can I suggest that GEM listers actually
circulate this to try to deal with the ignorance and media hype that is
making this issue so complicated for everyone!
Having spoken to the CRB and other people, the key issue to be aware of is
one to one situations. This doesn't help Chester Zoo I know. CCTV in the bat
cave perhaps? Personally I am as concerned for the protection of the adult
as that for the child. Just this weekend I was told about the experience of
a youth worker who had an uncooperative child tell them 'I'll tell people
you hit me'. As four other people heard the child, the threat was
invalid...but.... My male partner was recently asked by a 6 year old girl to
help her sort out her (falling down) Roman costume during a summer school.
He got an older girl to replace the brooch instead but his natural and
initial reaction was to help the child. After all do we want a generation of
children who distrust all adults?? SWMLAC's advice, common sense and good
practice should be the keys.
For those organisations and individuals not able/willing to fork out
registration fees it may be useful to use the Search facility on the
disclosure website. This gives details of organisations within a region (who
may be specialist employment agencies, nurseries, charities, housing
associations or charities judging from searching for Bucks) who are willing
to act as 'open umbrellas'. This means that they may be prepared to apply
for a disclosure on behalf of someone else. You need to contact the
individual organisation for their own procedures and costs - which will be
in the region of £20/30 per application and will require the applicant to
submit documents like passport, driving licence, birth certificate etc.
The notes for guidance for school governors
(www.dfes/gov.uk/governor/pubdocs/71_183.doc) makes it clear that there is
no requirement to obtain disclosures for existing staff unless there are
grounds for concern. Nor should staff be re-checked at regular intervals
unless they change job, increase their level of responsibilities
substantially, or have a break in service of more than three months.
Anyone working in a self-employed capacity would be well advised to obtain
an Enhanced Disclosure. A copy of the disclosure certificate will be sent to
the individual as well as the organisation making the application.
Again the advice for school governors on dealing with agency or supply
teachers may make sense here for self employed people. Agency (or self
employed) staff should obtain Enhanced Disclosure at first registration and
thereafter every three years, or after a break in service (etc. as above).
If a person is registered with more than one agency (or in the case of a
self employed person works for more than one organisation) the individual
(and I quote) 'need not be asked to obtain separate Enhanced
Disclosures...but be required to produce his or her copy of the Disclosure
obtained by the first agency'. This would knock on the head any idea that
the copy of the Disclosure held by an individual (which is dated and
authorised by CRB) is somehow not valid in its own right - as has been
suggested on this list.
I have asked the DfES directly for policy guidance for self employed people
as this affects everyone who goes into schools in a workshop, residency or
theatre capacity. They seem to be having problems grasping the question but
I will persist and post any relevant reply to the list.
Hope this helps. It has been an interesting and frustrating journey of
detection and red herrings!
I am posting this separately to those who have raised specific questions
just in case they miss it on the main list so sorry for the duplication
Pippa, David and Pauline.
Towse Harrison
SUN JESTER
CONSULTANTS FOR LIFELONG LEARNING
HISTORICAL INTERPRETERS
COMMUNITY ARTS WORKERS
12 Ascott Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 1HX
Tel: 01296 423118
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