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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is why more parents don’t volunteer

243 replies

Hoppinggreen · 04/05/2018 09:36

So DH has been asked by a teacher (via DS) to help with a certain after school club where he has expertise. He is happy to do it and will finish work early that day to do it. So far so good BUT Aibu to think that the hoops he has to jump through to do it are a bit ott?
Firstly he has had to fill in a 10 page document, then he has to have a DBS, then he has to complete an online safeguarding course, attend an induction in School and present 2 forms of ID “to make sure he is who he says he is”
DH works on a govt contract and has high level security and 2 current DBS certs ( one less than 6 months old). We have also had children at the school for the past 8 years and I am well known to the school as well ( for the right reasons!). He has volunteered there before but as it was over 12 months ago he has to do all this for 1 hour once a week where he will be accompanied by a teacher anyway.
He works full time, some times with long hours and is a highly paid expert in this subject - if I hadn’t offered to sort most of this out for him I doubt he would be bothering
So Aibu to think this is a bit excessive? What do other schools do?
I know that safeguarding is important but all this will tell them is that he has no convictions, nothing else.

OP posts:
Original poster
Hoppinggreen · 04/05/2018 10:28

fluffy if he had a “cavalier selfish attitude “ he would hardly be finishing work early and rushing home to volunteer at school - I find that really rude actually.
And in any case we ARE doing the forms so he CAN do it I was just thinking that some people might not want to and it might put them off doing it

OP posts:
Fink · 04/05/2018 10:30

Yep, sounds entirely reasonable. If it puts people off volunteering then maybe we're better off without them.

I have to organise this sort of thing for a voluntary organisation where I've known most of the people volunteering for years. If I skipped out the safeguarding training on the grounds that x knows what she's doing anyway ... skipped getting the references on the grounds that y and I have been friends for years, I'd know if he wasn't who he said he was (see recent news coverage of undercover police officers who manage to get married without their partner discovering their real identity) ... skipped the background checks on the grounds that I'd know by now if z were a paedophile, she's lovely, there's no way she'd do something like that ...

I would quite rightly get my arse handed to me, not to mention what would happen if, God forbid, there were an actual incident to report.

The whole point of these checks, training etc. is that they have to be applied universally regardless of who the person is, otherwise they are of zero use at all.

The only shortcut is to access the DBS records. Now that it's changed from the CRB system the updated DBS can be accessed by anyone your DH gives permission to without him applying for a new DBS every time. But only if he applies for this facility within a time frame of receiving the DBS. And if his DBS is professional rather than voluntary he'll have to pay for the facility.

Witchend · 04/05/2018 10:30

It's a nuisance (I at one time had 4 DBS, 3 issued by the county council, 2 of them for different schools to volunteer in).

But I can imagine if you didn't have to have the one for the actual school:
"Oh yes, I have one from work, don't worry, I'll bring it in"
"Oh bother I forgot it, next week."
"My manager has it and he was on holiday last week."
"Oh I've bought the other car today. never mind next week."
...
And after a bit people will forget to ask and assume all is fine. And the people most likely to do that without a DBS are those with something to hide.

Kazzyhoward · 04/05/2018 10:30

If he wants to volunteer, he should jump through the hoops.

Yes, but also if the school wants volunteers, they should help break down barriers, not put up artificial ones. No one is saying there should be no checks, but these days, there is so much paperwork and bureaucracy that simply solves no purpose. Hopefully, the new GDPR regulations will force changes as it makes organisations "audit" the information they ask for and hold, as they have a requirement that all personal information must be held for a legitimate reason.

SunnyCoco · 04/05/2018 10:32

YABU
It’s a small step taken to help protect all of our children
Just because YOU know he’s a decent guy doesn’t mean anyone else does.
Would you be cool with a random kids parent having contact with vulnerable children after zero checks, just because they couldn’t be arsed to fill in a few forms?

Original poster
Hoppinggreen · 04/05/2018 10:36

I am currently hoop jumping - but the system just crashed!
We have the time and inclination to do all this and it will be done, I suppose I’m just remembering the old days when my Mum used to just pop in and read with us occasionally!
I was actually wondering if this was standard across all schools rather than expecting for my lovely DH to be called “selfish”amongst other things but this IS AIBU!!

OP posts:
RedSkyAtNight · 04/05/2018 10:36

I've never known anyone who was genuinely interested in volunteering be put off because they had to undergo safeguarding checks. Does anyone else?

TheStoic · 04/05/2018 10:38

I suppose I’m just remembering the old days when my Mum used to just pop in and read with us occasionally!

Those days are gone, unfortunately. Especially when men are involved.

Original poster
Hoppinggreen · 04/05/2018 10:38

AND im not suggesting there be no checks obviously ( as I have very clearly stated quite a few times) I’m just a bit surprised at the amount of paperwork but rather that than put a child at risk - which is why I’m currently dealing with it

OP posts:
claraschu · 04/05/2018 10:40

It is ridiculous, no "buts" from me, just stupid and annoying.

echt · 04/05/2018 10:41

Yes, but also if the school wants volunteers, they should help break down barriers, not put up artificial ones. No one is saying there should be no checks, but these days, there is so much paperwork and bureaucracy that simply solves no purpose. Hopefully, the new GDPR regulations will force changes as it makes organisations "audit" the information they ask for and hold, as they have a requirement that all personal information must be held for a legitimate reason

The school is not putting up barriers, this are required documents.

In what way is "no purpose "served here?

What non-legitimate info is required? What info would you want your child's school to have about someone who works/volunteers there?

HairyToity · 04/05/2018 10:41

Yanbu

Myotherusernameisbest · 04/05/2018 10:43

Its OTT, the school should make these things a little easier for parents to volunteer and use their common sense a little bit too. As he has already had DBS checks done and needs them for work it seems ott to have them all over again.

I'm all for making sure poeple who have contact with the children in schools are checked out, but when it comes to parents volunteering with teachers present for the odd trip or club that seems well over the top.

We recently had a school trip where parents were asked if they can come along and help out. None of them who were able to help had to fill in 10 page essays and provide ID.

JacquesHammer · 04/05/2018 10:46

My local council made me take a full (then) CRB to chaperone my own kid at a theatre....

They also require a DBS to be taken for each role. So if I volunteer for the theatre group, and then say a school or a sports team I need one each time. THAT is nonsense.

They called me up and asked me to volunteer at a dancing festival. I said yes, happily. Until it turned out I would have had to have a fourth DBS check (despite having 3 current ones).

I can see what the OP means. I totally agree DBS checks need to be in place but there MUST be a better system

Original poster
Hoppinggreen · 04/05/2018 10:46

I actually think that another dbs is ok, although his government security clearance is much more in-depth
It’s more the online course ( which keeps crashing) and the 10 page form I was thinking are a bit ott

OP posts:
teenagerparent · 04/05/2018 10:47

If I get this right the OP isn't saying there should not be any checks just the amount.
I agree there should be a DBS and a safeguarding session. Anything over that is actually pointless and could well be putting people off.

FluffyHippo · 04/05/2018 10:47

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Original poster
Hoppinggreen · 04/05/2018 10:48

Who hurt you fluffy?

OP posts:
JacquesHammer · 04/05/2018 10:51

Some kind of online registry would be useful.

So you go get a DBS check which lasts for three years. You get input into a system and get given a unique reference which you can then use to voluntee anywhere in the LA for the three years of the check.

You then have to go back in and renew in person.

Noboozeforme · 04/05/2018 10:54

I've had this. It feels over the top at times because you are a good/honest person .. but many peopke aren't and roles like this are a prime target for people who abuse children. All checks are good.

I'm a social worker and work in CP and still had to fill out the forms.

FluffyHippo · 04/05/2018 10:55

Hoppinggreen, I'm not hurt.

I see the damage abuse - especially sexual abuse - does to kids in my job. It's horrible. To say it ruins their lives is a fucking understatement. And then you come on here and whinge about fucking form-filling.

I repeat - get your priorities right. Or, better still, spend some time with the kids I work with. Then you might get some perspective.

DougFargo · 04/05/2018 10:57

But he won't even be alone with any children, so why the need for any of it?

GirlsonFilm · 04/05/2018 10:58

My children's primary required an application, photo id proof (passport), dbs and 2x references for PTA members. Enough already, I am a hcp with enhanced dbs as part of my job, I'm never alone with children and always supervised by a teacher.

It's too much and I have resigned from the PTA, but this will surely put other parent helpers off too.

TheStoic · 04/05/2018 11:00

Who hurt you fluffy?

Very strange thing to say on a thread on this topic.

Original poster
Hoppinggreen · 04/05/2018 11:03

fluffy I’m sorry you have to deal with such an awful thing at work and my post has obviously triggered you in some way, which I do apologise for
However, I was just musing on the amount of paperwork involved ( which I am currently doing by the way) rather than whether every Tom Dick or Susan should be given unmonitored access to children.
In any case for anyone who missed the first few times I said it, my DH has checks well above those required for a teacher let alone a parent volunteer and none of them would stop him harming a child if he was so inclined
ALSO for anyone who missed it we ARE doing the paperwork I was just quite surprised at the amount, that’s all

OP posts: