Volunteer's - CRB check needed at 16?

[tatt]

Can anyone tell me if a CRB check is actually needed on a volunteer aged 16 who is working with children? I've been told it is and wanted to check. They have no problem with being vetted but I'm surprised that child volunteers have to be vetted.

yes as soon as they hit their 16th birthday

Why are you surprised people over 16 need to be vetted?

because they are still children themselves. Should we start vetting at the age of criminal responsibility then?

They can get married at 16...

They are vetted at 16 and rightly so as at 16 if they can be added to the offenders register. I work with young people and have one who is on the register. I would hate for him to start volunteering and not have been CRB checked. Organisations should not let under 16s work with children unsupervised. It's the law. Therefore the age of criminal responsibility does not come into the argument.

the child wasn't unsupervised before they reached 16 and they won't be unsupervised now, since they are not an adult. I believe they don't count for insurance purposes/ staffing ratios until they are 18. They wouldn't be unsupervised anyway, it would be unfair to them and the children. The law is a mess and marrying at 16 is just part of that mess.