to think that as I'm offering to volunteer my time at DS's school

[choufleur]

the school office could at least bother to take my CRB form back from me.

Went to the office after school today to hand in the form but the woman who deals with it doesn't work Monday or tuesday, so I was asked to go back on wednesday. i can't on Wednesday as I'm at work.

Eventually after much huffing and exasperated sighs from the receptionist she agreed to take the form and documents and pass to the other woman.

It's not really such a hard thing to do is it!

oooh office staff are sometimes funny about 'doing' other staff's work though aren't they!

when I did my crb check I had to sit with the woman doing the check before she sent them off - perhaps this is why the receptionist didn't want to take them - perhaps she knows the woman will berate her for doing so and she will get it in the neck

The receptionist did n't make the rules - but she gets the stick form all sides for trying to keep to the rules and then failing due to pressure

But that makes the receptionist responsible for your forms and documents - maybe she shouldn't be ? I've certified documents for crbs, with the person present, and it is still a hassle even if you can hand them back straight away.

In that case why doesn't the receptionist just say, sorry but it has to be the person signing you off etc.
I'd rather that then a snotty, huffy receptionist acting as if i was causing her probelms when all you doing is enquiring about something!
which correct me if im wrong is part of her job????

Well if she couldn't do it for a particular reason then she could have said so.

I didn't make the rule either - I'm just trying to volunteer at the school.

no good deed goes unpunished, isn't that what they say!
You would think they would be grateful, obviously not.

I agree with you choufleur - a simple explanation if it complicates the procedure would have been helpful or as you say just taking the forms and passing the to the relevant person - even better!

Our school receptionist is very efficient and does know her job but her people skills are a little lacking - sometimes if she doesn't know the answer to your question she doesn't even make eye contact with you - very rude! , she is after all the "shop window' to the school!

Are you offering to help in your child's class? I offered to help in my DD's nursery class. I later had a phone call from the Literacy co-ordinator asking if I'd hear readers in Y4. Apparently parents aren't allowed to help in their child's yeargroup.I have been cleared by CRB as I'm a teacher on a career break. Parent helpers in class are not currently checked. I'm guessing school has to pay the fee.What a terrible state of affairs. Teacher's can't be responsible for watching volunteer helpers and teaching at the same time.

i would gladly pay the £150 check tbh, so long as i thought i was doing some good.
from aged 3 - 5 it only takes £6 a month saved by to pay for it.
I think parents should always take an active role to help out schools, teachers, students, and not just their own.
That kind of community involment always has good results.
very rewarding.

OTT, individuals are not allowed to get CRB checks on themselves, the organisation seeking the CRB check has to be authorised to be able to get one. This is why the school has to apply for the check. So OP cannot apply and pay herself even if she wants to.

And £150 is quite a lot of money to most people!

School secretaries can be a funny breed. Ours was the queen of indignant huffing and puffing about anything and everything.

Perhaps they didn't want your paperwork hanging around the office with the risk of being misplaced? Trying to be positive here.

CRBs are an utter pain in the arse though - I get on average 3-4 done a year for me (different agencies) and currently have the joy of my CRBs being in my maiden name and me moving to work through my married name which means added explanations and carting my marriage certificate around with me at all times. In a way the one-off safeguarding check fee they cancelled would have been a godsend for me.

It's to help take children from reception (which is in a mobile) to the library to help choose books, and then back again. so not always with a teacher around.

If you are volunteering then the CRB check will be free. Actual cost is £36, so whoever has been quoted £150 should shop around! No point getting a CRB done on yourself, as each organisation will need to have their own CRB done. bonkers, but true.

welshandproud - you should mention to your school that parent helpers should have CRBs and background checks if the help out regularly - there could be trouble from dear ofsted if there's an inspection - this is one of the areas they check!

OP - the receptionist possibly didn't know how to correctly check your docs (CRB slings the form back is there's the slightest error) but that doesn't excuse her arsey attitude!

A Friend who worked with special case children had to pay for her own CRB check, it was £150 IIRC, took months to come through.
But she was happy to pay the company for it, as she loved the job.

So yes you can not apply for it yourself, but you certainly can pay for it/reumburse future employer.

Why can't you just post it to them?

oh she was having a bad day and you were probably the 86th thing that wasn't related to her actually job for her to deal with

I think you should give her a break

but if she's snotty next time, punch her in the tit

It is definitely only £36 for an enhanced CRB check, with volunteers free of charge. At least that is what CRB charge, umbrella bodies can of course charge individuals what they like for processing it

It's most likely that the Registered Body have a list of individuals who can check ID who they have trained to complete the process (& they have to sign to say they have checked it), so she probably wasn't being funny saying she couldn't do it & that will be why you had to leave your ID for the other woman to check.

Still no excuse for grumpiness though and you would think they would have a system in place to handle this given that the checking-woman is part time...

£150 is the charge for the express turnaround CRB

Yes school secretaries can be huffy and puffy and my DS' thinks shes DR BUT the ones in the school where I work are lovely. Its the same as DR's, checkout assistants well everywhere really. Some are lovely some just aren't

I would be very suspicious of any employer who expected me to pay for my own CRB check, OTT.

I have a friend who is a nurse and has had many CRB checks done, and has never been any suggestion she should pay for it herself. It is an accepted cost of employing staff in these fields.

I don't think I've ever come across a receptionist in a public sector or educational capacity that hasn't been rude and huffy, to be honest. From the library assistant who huffed about taking 5 mins to set up my library card because 'we close in 40 minutes', to the doctors receptionist who made me cry because my previous surgery wouldn't disclose my NHS number, to the university receptionists who would huff and puff at providing essential paperwork for students.

I wouldn't dream of being so rude to a random stranger, let alone someone I was dealing with in a professional capacity. It defies belief. YANBU.

I must have been really lucky then, mackerel, because the office staff at my DCs schools have always been, without exception, lovely and accomodating.

Doctors receptionists, though, seem to see it as their mission in life to keep you as as far away from the medical staff as possible!