Offender studying at college?

[diamondee]

If someone is a convicted sex offender can they study at a college with a creche onsite and high school pupils around all day? Would they have to declare this to the college and what would happen if they didn't?
I found out something about someone and am unsure what to do.

Unless there is a sex offender order in place barring the offender from areas frequented by children I don't think they are doing anything wrong. If this person is on the sex offenders register the college is probably already aware of this. However, depending on how long ago the offence was committed, their age at the time and the length of sentence they may not be on the sex offenders register. From the description you give they are not working with children so no CRB check is required.

If someone is a schedule 1 offender (sex or child related offences) the college will know. They don't have to do anything but the offender will have had to disclose this information - they will have an offender manager who will have made sure that they do.

One of their convictions was for an assault on an under 10 roughly six years ago and the person was over 18. I'd have thought this person would have been barred from being near children. I have no knowledge in this area though, are the restrictions placed usually for a long time?

As a safeguarding matter you need to make sure that the creche and the school are aware. As I understand it, if you study at college you don't have to declare any convictions but I may be wrong.

They will be registered for life, but being registerd does not necessarily come with restrictions. It can sometimes just compel the offender to disclose their status to agencies/individuals.
They may have been risk-assessed as no risk to 'other' children. It may be that they can't approach or be near the victim but that the risk is specific to that child.

I would imagine the creche & the High school don't actually mix with the adult learners?

There are serious sex offenders in schools up and down the country. What do you do with a child who has sexually abused another? Children who commit serious sexual offences still have the right to go to school. The person in question needs to do a college course so that they can find way of supporting themselves.

I imagine that school or college would have do a risk assessment and set up an IEP. Having the person on site is needs to be a managed risk. Often education and learning a trade is part of rehabitating a person into the community.

Provided they are not doing a childcare course I can't see the issue. The onsite creche will have its own childcare workers and the offender won't have the chance to abuse the children. I imagine that keystage 4 children will also be supervised and are less vunerable than primary school children.

My experience of college is that adult course and kids course student have nothing do with each other. They are a world apart.

If it was a conviction as opposed to a caution I would expect this person to be on the sex offenders register. You can't really bar someone from being near children but you can bar them from areas frequented by children. As TheRealAmyFarrahFowler says, the college will know about their offence. They would not allow this person to study if that meant they were breaching a sex offender order.

I am at the same college and no, I wasn't asked if I have any convictions (not that I do). Yes students don't readily have access to the creche but high school children are round all the time for various classes (life skills etc).

Diamondee - the offender would have to disclose it anyway, whether they were asked or not.

Ok, thank you for answering my questions