What to do about gossips and dbs check

[Gossipswhattodo]

Hi all

I could fo with some advice on what to fo in regards my volunteering position and an enhanced dbs

i recently ,though my own incompetence, was given a caution for having a bladed weapon in a public place ,this will show when I next need a dbs

i was flying, at very short notice , to a family funeral and inadvertently had a tiny and I mean tiny ,less than the 3cm long , knife in my carry luggage , it’s a bag I often use camping do I keep a small knife in there

i csn only blame grief and menopause for my oversight

please no advice on how I should “always check every time you fly “ or “I would never do this”.

unless I have a Time Machine it’just something I have to deal with the consequences of

I volunteer once a month at an activity that involves children ,obvs an enhanced dbs is necessary for this

as it happens I won’t be helping out untill August so I won’t be in contact with the children from the caution being issued and my dbs running out in August

my issue is that when the dbs is redone in August the caution will ,as it should , show up

it would be up to the main organiser to decide if I’m still “ok” to be in position ,and I will , of course ,abide by their decision but my issue is with a member of the main organisers, not the one who actually does dbs,

this person has in the past given out my private medical information in a meeting attended by staff at my children’s schools

shr has form for wanting up be in “control” and know everyone’s business and would take great delight in “shaming” me to everyone she can,

i simply can not risk her knowing my situation I am going to step back before the dbs is due

I would though still like yo help out the others who run the activity ,they would be the “responsibile” as it were , I would just be an occasional helper

but I don’t know quite how to phrase my “I m not going to help from August ,but I still like to help from August, so no need for a dbs ” ???

thanks

When you say you were given a caution did you sign something to say you had accepted a caution as a disposal method. I see it a lot that people will say they’ve got a caution when in actual fact they’ve just been cautioned before being questioned, ie ‘You do not have to say any thing but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court’. That is not something that would appear on a DBS.

You have to agree to a caution as a method of disposal and if you didn’t they make a decision whether you would have to go to court instead. Being cautioned is not the same as having a caution. A blade with a cutting edge of less than 3 inches generally isn’t illegal and even if there are circumstances where it may be it wouldn’t be an issue if there was a reasonable excuse.

If you travel from Switzerland you can buy Swiss Army knives after having gone though security and are about to get on the plane although obviously with blades less than three inches.

Folding knives are ok up to ,I believe, three inches but fixed blades ,any length us “illegal”

the police office said it would show on an enhanced dbs for the next 6 years

i did sign something and had the whole “anything yo say….” Speach

And this is why the DBS system needs fundamental reform. It is misused and people who check the forms are not equipped to deal with what they find.

Why would you assume that a middle aged woman was lying? You clearly DO doubt the OP!

@GossipswhattodoThat’s a shame. It seems you may have had a reasonable excuse. If you had refused a caution I doubt it would have gone to court especially with the circumstances. Sorry not helpful with your current predicament although I do generally say being upfront in situations such as tge this are the best way forward. Is there no one you can trust to deal with the DBS and not mention it to the gossip. You would have good grounds considering she’s already disclosed confidential information about you.

as someone tasked to administer DBS for volunteers and take decisions based on the results, yes I would doubt someone who said “I have a caution for possession of a bladed article because I accidentally took a little knife through airport security”, yes.

I don’t doubt OP because she has no reason to start this thread if she’s made up the reason for her caution.

it’s different perspectives isn’t it?

It never even crossed my mind that I would not be believed , the description written by the police office was “credit card knife” because it’s one of those ones that slide inside the “Swiss card” multi tool type thing

I presume if it was a 10inch zombie knife I might not have just had a caution / that works have been recorded

I still carry the swiss card with me , minus the knife , and the mini sccisors are weirdly a longer “blade” but have gone through airport secure without issue since

Exactly. Tell them in advance, explain the circumstances, say it will show up on the DBS and that you will be stepping away then. No need for this melodranatic secrecy.

But surely (to use stereotypes), if 21 year old Steve who you dont know is applying for the job, you might raise an eye at his story, if 55 year old Jean is applying for a job she has already been doing with your organisation why wouldnt you believe her. Has she shown previous propensity to bandy around bladed weapons and be aggressive?

No- all sorts of people find themselves in trouble with the law. I don’t judge what “type”
they are.

“No need for this melodranatic secrecy.”

have you read the thread ?

saying why the dbs would flag up and then walking away is exactly the opposite of what I would do and mrs gossip would have a field day

Dont you use any critical thinking?

Is it very likely that Jean, having worked for you already, you have a view about her conduct and presentation and have observed her behaviour, is a stabber?

Is it likely her story isnt true?

I'd get in there first, she wont have ammunition, if you enjoy your role I woujldnt let this get in the way, make a joke out of it. To be honest, and I realise this isnt how it feels to you, this is no biggie. Lots of people have stuff on their DBS, I have to complete tons of them for staff, clients, service users etc etc. Myself.

I’m not sure why you’re interrogating me, you don’t need to agree.
I’m telling you I think it sounds unbelievable, that’s all. Plenty of people will automatically downplay the reason they have a criminal record, it’s almost to be expected. People are embarrassed, or feel it’s unjust.

Im
not scared of the cbs lady seeing it , I’m not ashamed of the caution , but , just as others on this thread have demonstrated the “fixed blade” will be gossiped about by mrs gossip , even if she doesn’t know that’s on my dbs even it having “extra checks” will be enough for her , tbh she’d make up more than the actual caution

If even here amongst total strangers I am “judged” then mrs gossip can go more than that as she is in a position of trust

Where I work you are required to inform HR of any change to your details that might come up in a DBS check. You have to do that if/ when it happens not at the point of the next check. Failure to do so can be treated as a disciplinary offence as it’s viewed as dishonest conduct in that you are knowingly withholding something you think would make your employee or volunteer role untenable. I would disclose now or just step down from the role. It looks like you’re trying to achieve the impossible working around the person who is gossipy. It sounds like she will find out anyway ?

Nobody other than the person credited by DBS should see your check or have any detail about it. It’s highly confidential and that is hammered into you when you become the person responsible for them. If multiple people in the organisation are discussing DBS checks then something isn’t right.

That’s what’s happening though

I would organise my own dbs and then you will know what comes up on the from - this can be done. you can register with the update service if you want to as that could then be used by the organisation. This way you would know yourself what the dbs said in advance and then you would be better informed about whether you wanted others to see the form.

Why don’t you get ahead and tell your colleagues what happened? On the same day you tell DBS lady, Then there is nothing to gossip about?

Im not 'interrogating you', how extreme!

The poster upthread is exactly right, people overseeing DBSs have a responsibility to act logically and not misuse or misunderstand information, I do this myself. You have a responsibility to understand probability and possibility and weighing up information.

Again, do you really think a middle aged woman with no other indicators of crime, who has ALREADY WORKED FOR YOUR ORGANISATION, is making up a story like that?

Whats the alternative explanation, that she literally went out bladed up? For what purpose?

Gossip only has power if there’s secrecy. If you are open with everyone about the circumstances of the police caution, the gossip has no currency.

She says ‘Did you hear X has a police caution for trying to smuggle a blade onto an airplane!!?’ and everyone says ‘Yeah, she told everyone at the time — poor thing, she was rushing to get on a flight for a relative’s funeral. No wonder she was a bit frazzled.’ End of story.

Obviously it’s still up to the organisation whether you’re still, able to volunteer, but that doesn’t seem to be your worst fear.

This person is in a position of trust and gossiping about personal issues is just not on. She probably gets away with it as nobody confronts her.

Let the caution show up, but the real issue here is nobody but the safeguarding lead should know about it and if it gets out, take it through whatever process they have to raise such issues.