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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to tell DC's school one of their staff has DV convictions?

188 replies

onemorenamechanger · 04/04/2014 13:07

The convictions happened after they started working there, this person doesn't have contact with children. I have never even met this person and found out about this by complete fluke last night. The school may already know and be happy for him to continue to work there but should I mention it to the Head anyway? If the school didn't know already would he lose his job? I was going to ask to see the Head at drop off this morning then changed my mind but I'm starting to think I should say something. Any advice gratefully received please!

OP posts:
TheHouseCleaner · 04/04/2014 13:34

The OP doesn't need to have the details of the conviction.

I may be wrong but I would assume that the school would have some power to obtain details of the conviction but they can only do that if they're in possession of the knowledge that it exists, littlewhitebag.

If the OP is sure of her facts and the man does have a conviction for violent assault that's all she'd need to tell them. Then it's down to them to investigate further in whatever way that happens and to make a decision once armed with the facts.

If the OP is mistaken and tells the school that the man has a conviction when he doesn't there should be no harm done. The school will (hopefully) follow established procedure to ascertain the facts and if they find the allegation is untrue will take no further action.

LongPieceofString · 04/04/2014 13:34

One of our window cleaners at work has a conviction for Dv. It really unsettles me and I refuse to be alone with any contractor in the building now.

EvaBeaversProtege · 04/04/2014 13:35

Maybe it's different here, but our local papers cover the magistrate courts, his case would have been in the paper.

If it had been in the paper the school would know.

How did you find out?

Was it DV towards a female? Are they split up?

It's a hard one to call as I wouldn't want someone violent being near my children, but if the school already know & keep him on then they must have some safeguarding in place?

ChelworthBrond · 04/04/2014 13:35

There's no suggestion he has been violent towards children so why is it a problem? I wouldn't want to be his friend but if he's been punished for his crime then why keep throwing it back in his face.

For all you know maybe both parties in the relationship had been convicted of domestic violence. Or maybe there was extreme provocation that would make the incident a one off.

There's no need for you to come busy-bodying in. Or would you like to check the records of everyone who comes into your child's school personally? And everyone working at the restaurants you take them to? Or in homes where they go to visit?

Original poster
onemorenamechanger · 04/04/2014 13:35

Ian Huntley was a caretaker wasn't he

I was going take the advice to keep my beak out until you posted this Stealth!

OP posts:
Goblinchild · 04/04/2014 13:37

I would, school staff of any variety need to be checked out thoroughly and on a regular basis.
Tell the head, confidentially and leave the decision with them as to how to proceed.

givemushypeasachance · 04/04/2014 13:38

There are processes in place for the police to inform employers/agencies if someone is convicted of certain type of offences and they work in a "notifiable occupation" e.g. if a nursery worker was convicted of assault, their employer would be told. But that relies on the person describing their occupation correctly, it being a notifiable occupation in the first place and then the offence being in that category. A cleaner in a school may just describe themselves as "cleaner" - I don't know if they'd have to say where, but I suspect that it's in a school would be relevant.

ChelworthBrond · 04/04/2014 13:38

Ian Huntley was a caretaker but so are thousands of other men who aren't a danger to children.

boschy · 04/04/2014 13:40

it's not just about the children though is it? how about the other cleaners, teachers, etc who may be in contact? the school has a duty of care to its' staff as well as its' pupils.

at our school, ALL staff who are on the premises at any time of day or night (so including cleaners, catering staff etc etc) are regularly trained in safeguarding issues, how to spot a student who may be being abused etc. (sorry realise this is OT in relation to this thread, but it's an example of how a holistic approach works).

I think if you trust the source of the information it is probably worth mentioning it in confidence to the HT so s/he can take it forward. not much else you can do really.

CoffeeTea103 · 04/04/2014 13:40

I would keep out of it. You really sound like a troublemaker. The school may already know. Besides if he was convicted wouldn't he have been punished?

WorraLiberty · 04/04/2014 13:40

What has this got to do with Ian Huntley? Confused

Caretakers mix with pupils, cleaners don't.

Also, Ian Huntley was a sex offender. I'm not sure he had any convictions for DV?

Goblinchild · 04/04/2014 13:42

It's also that children, especially primary, trust the adults to keep them safe and they feel safe in school.
So everyone they see in school is usually assumed to be a friend, a safe person, not someone to be suspicious of or wary.
Cleaners are around after school, so are a number of children who attend the clubs and other activities. They will see him around and may assume that he's fine. They may be correct, they may not. Leave the info with the head, OP.

TheHouseCleaner · 04/04/2014 13:42

Ian Huntley had also committed criminal acts of violence in the past and was known to the police.

Had Soham Village College known that maybe two kids would still be alive today.

littlewhitebag · 04/04/2014 13:44

There are also a number of different offences he could have been charged with. DV can cover a range of things from causing fear and alarm up through assault up to really serious stuff. I am not a legal person so i don't want to misinform but i am quite certain 'domestic violence' is not something you can be charged with. Do you know exactly what the charges are that he has been convicted for?

Goblinchild · 04/04/2014 13:46

I wonder how many of those saying 'tell' are also workers in school who may not fancy being alone in a classroom at 6pm with a potentially dangerous man in the building.

TalkinPeace · 04/04/2014 13:51

Remember that DBS works differently from CRB

TBH I would just ask the school what their policy is on keeping checks up to date.
If they know they know.
You have then warned them without accusing anybody

sazzlesb · 04/04/2014 13:54

Tricky one but ultimately I don't think it's your role to tell the school - you found out by fluke and if there is a policy of not employing anyone with DV convictions then surely they would have got his criminal record before employing him? Unless the DV conviction did involve children, it might not be considered relevant anyway. I would leave it

BrunoBrookesDinedAlone · 04/04/2014 13:55

Yes, I would love it if a person convicted of DV lost their job as a result.

Two women a week are killed in this way.

Maybe if some of the kind of men who commit acts of violence like this saw an example in action of how yes actually it MATTERS in the wider world if you do this, that there are CONSEQUENCES beyond those immediately connected to your crime, that the general public DON'T, for example, want someone with the capability to violently attack someone anywhere near their children... Well, maybe some of those future victims just might not end up dead.

I would want my children's school to not accept having someone with convictions for unprovoked violence on their staff list.

OuterFromOutersville · 04/04/2014 13:57

What mushypeas said - there are processes to ensure that information like this is shared with the employers of people in certain professions. There's also a legal requirement on these individuals to share this information with their employers.

You could clarify with the school whether their checking policy would include their cleaners in the first instance.

sazzlesb · 04/04/2014 13:57

I should have added - you probably need to know more about the facts as DV can cover an enormous range of offences - a common assault can be very minor (eg grabbing a wrist and not causing any injury at all) compared with a GBH type offence where serious harm is caused

DontCareAboutYourShoes · 04/04/2014 14:01

Cleaners will come into contact with children. And will be alone in rooms with female staff. I would tell but I don't know how :/

StealthPolarBear · 04/04/2014 14:02

musypeas, thank you for clarifying.
Why would a caretaker mix with children any more than a cleaner? Our school cleaner is around a lot I think.

"ChelworthBrond Fri 04-Apr-14 13:38:50
Ian Huntley was a caretaker but so are thousands of other men who aren't a danger to children."

So? All I'm saying that just beause the person isn't directly supervising children doesn't mean their employer shouldn't be told they've been convicted of violence. And surely one of the key red flags for being violent towards children is being known to be violent in general

Original poster
onemorenamechanger · 04/04/2014 14:03

I think I'll take your advice Talkin, if the Head already knows then she'll probably guess that I know, but since I don't intend to tell anybody else I'll just leave it in her hands, as a pp said the school may already know and have measures in place. Some posters seem to think I'm going to grab a pitchfolk and storm the school at the head of baying mob, I'm not, I just feel uncomfortable having this info and I'm unsure of what to do with it.

OP posts:
ThatBloodyWoman · 04/04/2014 14:03

I would tell tbh.

If it's recent they may not know.

If hechas been convicted of dv

? of course he is violent
?she is living daily with the result of it so why shouldn't he
?he is not trustworthy around children.

If the school know and haven't acted I would complain to governors/lea.

But be sure, absolutely sure, of your facts.

ThatBloodyWoman · 04/04/2014 14:05

sazzle dv is never minor.

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