Beavers Dilema - Parent Helpers

[Sophie54321]

Hi all, I'm in quite a dilemma and could do with some advice please.

My DS has just started Beavers, the membership form says that they ask all parents to help out and there is a tick box to specify how often I would prefer to help. Quite rightly I have to have a CRB check.

My problem is many moons ago when I was young and foolish I got mixed up with the wrong crowd and I ended up with a conviction for theft. It was my first and only offence as soon as I was convicted I knew what a complete fool I had been.

I then started again, new job, moved to a new area, am now married with 2 children. It's all very normal.

The Occasional Helper form asks if anything would show up on a CRB check and if I answer falsely I could be in trouble. I would have to hand the OH form back to the leader who is actually a family friend.

I am terrified that this could stir it all up, I do not want people knowing about this that don't have to, I am so ashamed and embarrassed. I have checked and it would appear that it would indeed show up. I honestly couldn't bear people knowing, it's a close knit community and although it should remain confidential, things don't always remain so.

I rang the head of our district and explained to them, they said I could give the OH form back to them so the leader would never need to see it, she would think that strange as I don't even personally know the head, so I've no idea to get around this other than refuse to help out and risk other parents frowning on me for this.

Even though they ask on forms for help, do they really insist? It does say a rota will be in place.

I just want my DS to be able to attend Beavers, I don't want my stupid past raked up!!

In our Group the CRB enquiries are dealt with by someone separate not the Leaders of the actual units. Are you sure that it is the Leader that would actually submit the forms and get the results back? I would deal with the Group Scout Leader/District Commissioner as has been suggested if this isn't the case. Even if you don't know him yet, you soon will once your DS gets involved

Just say you're not able to help because of family commitments - would they expect a single parent to help when they also had a 2 year old at home?

Yo don't need to explain why.

I think you are over thinking this a little. You wouldn't be the only parent unable to commit to helping, I really don't think people will judge you for it. But if you would like to get involved, just send the form direct to district and if the group leader mentions it just say you assumed it had to go to district, heyho, no problem so long as it's ended up in the right place.

There are other options of course:
Could your DH help at all instead of you?
Also you could offer other sorts of help such as helping with admin, writing the letters etc.

I cannot speak for Scouting but in Girlguiding our Occasional Helpers (defined as someone who helps no more than twice a month) and Parental Helpers (on a parents rota) do not need to do DBS checks (formally called CRB).

As long as you are not to be left alone with the children, a DBS shouldn't be needed. But check Scouting policies.

The District Commissioner should do the DBS search and it is a poor show that your information has to go through a unit leader, it should not have to. You could ask the commissioner to pop by your house to collect the form. Just tell the unit leader you happen to see the commissioner and give it to him/her. It will be no big deal who got the form, the leader probably won't even notice.

You are right that this will show up on the enhanced check. That said, it should not be a barrier to your volunteering. You have done the right thing to disclose the conviction. Better this than it be discovered without you disclosing.

Having said that, convictions are not all that uncommon. You would be surprised how many disclosures of previous convictions are made, but I have never known a disclosure to be such that it prevents someone from volunteering.

If you are helping less than once a month and not doing any overnight activities than you shouldn't be DBS checked at all (this is the law and Scouting policy). Please ask the group, or the District as you are in touch with them why you need to be checked.
Scouting should be open to all young people including those whose parents have criminal records (even more serious than yours) and this situation is why I (a Scout leader for nearly 20yrs) would never insist that all parents are checked.
I do check those who help regularly or who stay overnight with Scouts.

My son is now a scout so I have gone through crb checks. I'm also a nanny. My sons cub group did parent camps so we needed checks.
Back in 2004 I got cautioned for common assault against my ex mil. I knew this would show up on my record so I went and had a private word with the leader to pre warn him. It was fine they had no issue at all and he is still to this day the only one who knows.

I'm in the same position, could have written your post in fact . I don't volunteer if a check is required. I did fill in a form and had a check done when my eldest was in nursery school (6 years ago now), I hadn't really thought it through but the conviction came up. It was never mentioned by anyone but to be very honest I felt so awful and embarrassed that it really did cloud that whole year for me. I wouldn't put myself through that again.

Thank you all so much for your comments. I think I will fill the form in indicating a preference for helping termly, hopefully I won't need a check for helping on this basis.

How odd! I'm a Brownie Leader and our DBS checks are done on-line and checked centrally. We don't ask if anything will be revealed and the check results go to a central office; we don't see the forms at all for helpers, just an email from central WQ to say that the membership is authorised.