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Request sent to Norfolk Constabulary by John Walker on 17 November 2008.
Request sent to Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People by John Walker on 17 November 2008.
Request sent to Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) by John Walker on 17 November 2008.
Common Purpose - Your Turn - criminal records checks
A Freedom of Information request to Department for Children, Schools and Families by John Walker
The request was successful.
John Walker
17 November 2008
Dear Sir or Madam,
An "educational charity" called Common Purpose encourages its
members to identify 12-15 year olds for training before placement
on so-called "Your Turn" training courses:
http://www.commonpurpose.org.uk/home/pro...
I am concerned that some of this training may be carried out by
people who have not had the statutory criminal records checks.
1. What is your policy and what systems do you have in place for
ensuring that people who train children on Common Purpose courses
have passed the necessary criminal records checks?
2. Please supply evidence/records that you have that Common Purpose
trainers who deal with children have passed the necessary criminal
records checks.
Yours faithfully,
John Walker
Department for Children, Schools and Families
17 November 2008
Thank you for your recent email. A reply will be sent to you as soon as
possible (where a response is required). For information, the
departmental standard for correspondence received is that responses
should be sent within 15 working days or 20 working days if you are
requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Your correspondence has been allocated the reference number 2008/0095633
Department for Children Schools and Families
show quoted sections
Department for Children, Schools and Families
3 December 2008
Dear Mr Walker,
Thank you for your email dated 17 November 2008 about criminal records
checks.
Firstly, it is for the organisation running the course to ensure that a
person has the correct CRB check, depending on their involvement with the
children.
The DCSF does not collect evidence that Common Purpose trainers have
passed the necessary criminal records checks.
The DCSF guidance document Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in
Education states that additional safeguards will be necessary where a
placement is for more than one day per week. The following safeguards
should be in place.
Staff of the local authority, school or FE college who arrange, vet
or monitor work placements should have had training in chid protection;
. Training organisations or employers taking responsibility for a
child or
. Children on a long-term placement should be asked to make a
commitment
. To safeguarding their welfare by endorsing an agreed child
protection policy or statement of principles.
. Any person whose normal duties will include regularly caring for,
training, looking after or supervising a child in the workplace should be
vetted and subject to CRB Disclosures to ensure s/he is not disqualified
from working with children or otherwise unsuitable to be responsible for
them. This should not include people who will have contact with the child
simply because s/he will be in the same location, or as part of their
work. It is intended to apply to people who are specifically designated to
have responsibility for looking after, supervising or directly training a
child or children throughout the placement. CRB Disclosures should
normally be arranged by the organisation arranging the placement, through
the local authority, school or FE college, and the person should be
regarded as a volunteer for the purpose of the Disclosure.
. That person should also be given basic child protection training
to be aware of their responsibilities in accordance with What To Do If
You're Worried A Child Is Being Abused. They should be given details of a
person to contact in the event that there are any concerns about a child
for whom they are responsible.
If you have any questions regarding the running of this organisation in
terms of safeguarding children I would advise you to put these in writing
to the organisation concerned.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Beverley Smith
CHILD PROTECTION DIVISION
[email address]
[1]www.dcsf.gov.uk
Your correspondence has been allocated the reference number 2008/0095633.
show quoted sections
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
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References
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1. http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/
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David Hansen left an annotation (18 November 2008)
The Cabinet Office tied itself into knots on this subject some time ago, but on page 9 of http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/~/media/... they are clear.
"In general terms however, there is no legal requirement to CRB check volunteers. Unless this volunteering is in a ‘regulated’ setting such as a care home or a school and even then only when the volunteer has regular contact with either vulnerable adults or children."
Do most Common Purpose trainers, who are volunteers in my experience, have regular contact with vulnerable adults or children in 'regulated' settings? I suspect not.
I do have occasional contact with vulnerable adults and children when running sessions. Any organisation which wants this criminal records check nonsense will need to find someone else to run the course. I won't be doing it. Their choice.
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