CRB Checks and previous criminal records - professionals working with children

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Dear Essex County Council,

CRB Checks and previous criminal records

This FOI relates to any professional employed by the LA that has access to children such as children’s social workers, health visitors etc.

1. Would any convictions, cautions, criminal activity or police records etc. recorded against a person in any county, other than the UK, show up on CRB checks? If so what country(s) share records with the UK CRB Records?

2. How many social workers / professionals do you employ that have got a different birth place to the UK?

3. How many social workers / professionals do you employ that have a different country of residency previous to becoming resident of the UK?

4. Have all social workers listed in Q2 & Q3 had CRB checks made against them?

5. Can you confirm that CRB records / checks only go back to when a person arrives in the UK?

6. Can you confirm that past criminal convictions, police records etc. from other countries will or will not show up on CRB checks?

7. For all social workers / professionals in Q2 &Q3, what procedures / safeguarding measures have the LA put in place to ensure that social workers / professionals have no previous convictions, cautions, criminal activity or police records, fraud or anything that has been made against them in their birth country or previous country of residence that may or may not jeopardise the safeguarding of children or adults?

8. How does the LA contact other countries for social workers / professional’s previous records? What are the time scales?

9. With regards to Q8, if the LA does not get a response from the country which the records are sought, would the social worker / professional be employed by the LA or would employment only commence when the LA has evidence that social workers / professionals have a clean record.

10. If this FOI has highlighted concerns or failing of obtaining previous records from birth countries / previous residence of another countries would the LA seek to amend policies to ensure social workers / professionals have clean records.

11. Does the LA carry out random drug tests or alcohol tests on social workers / professionals? Were there any to be found negative and what were the outcomes?

Yours faithfully,

Sheila Hersom

Ruth Byford Research & Analysis Officer, Essex County Council

3 Attachments

Please find attached an acknowledgement of your Freedom of Information
request.

Ruth Byford
on behalf of ISIS
Internal Audit & Risk Management
Essex County Council | telephone: 01245 435944 | extension: 55944 | email:
[email address]
EssexWorks
For a better quality of life

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Dear Ruth Byford Research & Analysis Officer,

Thanks for the acknowledgement, I am asking to add a further question to the FOI

When applying for police, extended family (parents & siblings) have to have CRB checks, does the same apply for social workers and professionals employed by the LA. If so please answer the questions above also relating to extended family

Yours sincerely,

Sheila Hersom

Ruth Byford Research & Analysis Officer, Essex County Council

I am out of the office until Monday 5th March. My mailbox is not being
monitored and I will respond to your email when I return. If your email
relates to Freedom of Information please forward to the YourRightToKnow
mailbox, which is being monitored. If your email relates to INTRAN please
forward to Nick Ghiacy who is now the INTRAN Champion for Essex County
Council. Thank you.

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Your Right To Know, Essex County Council

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Hersom

 

Please find attached the response to your FOI request.

 

Kind regards

 

On behalf of Your Right To Know

 

Essex County Council / County Hall / Phone: 08457 430430/ Email:
[1][email address] /

 

EssexWorks

For a better quality of life

 

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Dear Ruth Byford Research & Analysis Officer,

With reference to your answer please can you confirm the following

Are these people employed BEFORE the certificate of good conduct is in receipt?

Who can provide a person with a certificate of good conduct from their original countries?

How is it followed up that this certificate is valid? i.e. Not written by a friend

Yours sincerely,

Sheila Hersom

Ruth Byford Research & Analysis Officer, Essex County Council

3 Attachments

Please find attached an acknowledgement of your Freedom of Information
request.

Ruth Byford
on behalf of ISIS
Internal Audit & Risk Management
Essex County Council | telephone: 01245 435944 | extension: 55944 | email:
[email address]
EssexWorks
For a better quality of life

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Dear Ruth Byford Research & Analysis Officer,

I write with regards to the above FOI in which an article has come to my attention that heightens my concerns of the need to tighten policy with CRB checks, link enclosed

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Council-empl...

Yours sincerely,

Sheila Hersom

Your Right To Know, Essex County Council

1 Attachment

Please find attached the response to your Freedom of Information request.
 
Ruth Byford
on behalf of ISIS
Internal Audit & Risk Management
Essex County Council | telephone: 01245 435944 | extension: 55944 | email:
[1][email address]
 
EssexWorks
For a better quality of life

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