"police checks" for prospective childminders

[scottiebabe]

Have just started a course to become a childminder and we have been told that understandably we have to undergo police checks for everyone in our household over 16 but a colleague has just called asking if i know how far they go back - i have no idea - does anyone else

Not totally sure but I do know that my police check went back to as long as I had been in the country.... as I emigrated to the UK. I already had an aussie one done also.

I was a Reg. childminder after DS1 was born in 1999 and if I remember correctly it's 5 years.

Not totally sure though..........

And since I was registared ALOT of stuff has changed so that could have too...........

Sorry, replied on the other thread. It will show anything that has been recorded on a police record, cautions, final warnings, convictions etc. BUT, it should be irrelevant if it is not child related.

When you have the first one done, it goes all they way back, but after that it will only be three years.

Do you mean how long is a check valid or how far back do they check for criminal convictions? I think it's recommended that people working with kids are checked every 3 years or so but there's no obligation- it's up to the employer. With an enhanced disclosure it's any convictions ever, including cautions, juvenile offences and court appearances BUT they'll only be interested in things that might affect work with kids- primarily violence or sexual offences. If your colleague is worried about a seemingly grey area- husband got cautioned for a fight when he was 16 or something- she should have a chat with the person running the course who'll almost certainly be able to reassure her. There's a bit more info here . HTH

thanks everyone for all the info and the link scrumymummy- yeah it was how far back do they check on you - seemingly they have had a check done for something but when they lived in ireland or scotland and it seems the law slightly different there - anyway we had been told on the course all convictions to be put on form whether spent or not and her dh a bit upset saying they are spent and what did aggro he had 25 yrs ago have to do with her beng a childminder he will be a work most if the time anyway and prob never see the kids she would hope to look after -think it hit a nerve but can understand why but had no more info than she did thanks again sorry if this goes on a bit