Utter waste of teachers' time and taxpayers' money

[MissM]

Please bear with me, felt I had to share this ridiculous situation.

DH is a teacher, has been for 10 years. We moved last year and he took a temporary job through a supply agency. He has now found a permanent job that will start in September.

Through the agency, he got a CRB check (he already had one from his last school at which he'd worked for 8 years, but apparently it wasn't recognised outside London. First ridiculous point). Anyway, the local authority he now works for contacted him LAST WEEK (ie. five weeks before the end of term), to tell him that he needs a new CRB check as they do not have one for him.

The supply agency and the local authority are located in the same building, on the same floor. DH said, 'here's the name of the person at the agency, why don't you go and ask them for the CRB form I completed last year.' The person replied, 'Oh no, we can't do that.'

So, four weeks before the end of term DH has to fill in another CRB form, which will have to be processed by whoever processes them, despite the fact that he had a perfectly valid one less than a year ago from one job and yet another one carried out last September.

Of course there is a need for CRB checks for people working with children, but surely a busy teacher has better things to do than fill out endless forms that they have already filled out? And more to the point, if the local authority didn't have any record of him having had a check, then why did they leave it for almost a whole school year before they got in touch?

No particular reason for this post, just venting the stupidity of it all.

It's a bit of a bizarre concept though isn't it. All teachers have a CRB check. If they did something bad they'd be suspended and probaby sacked, depending on how bad it was. Asking DH to do a new CRB check when he already has one isn't going to stop him committing a crime (if he was so inclined), is it. Surely the checks are more for people coming new into the profession?

We have to redo ours every three years - I've just done mine, even though I'm still in the same job. It didn't really take very long though.

That is what is wrong with the system though Miss M. If the teacher did something the school would only know if he told them.

I had an email a couple of years ago from a colleague warning me that someone who worked for them had been arrested. It only came to light during his 3 year renewal. This person was also working as a secondary school teacher and his school was unaware.

The checks are done on all sorts of people that deal with the public. It is more public services that actually have the checks and get them paid for.

Private companies don't always have them done - as they cost. I worked in a hotle for a few years with the public and had access to their bedroom and young children. I went to work for public service and have no where near the access to peple and their children as I did before but work with the public so had to have a full enhanced CRB check - it is no problem to me but I do wonder what it is for?

Well there's an interesting anomaly Ivykaty. Rustybear - I have to re-do mine every three years too, but there's a difference between that and what my husband has to do, which is two and possibly three in the space of a year. I know it doesn't take long, but it's just another thing in a teacher's day you know? And the original check is available, it's just that the local authority won't recognise it! Even though they required it from the supply agency in the first place... aaarrghghgh! This is scrambling my brain!