What is CRB?

OP

Original post by Sapientia

CRB = Criminal Records Bureau. Usually refers to the certificate they can give you with your criminal history.

So I'm assuming unless you've committed a crime you won't have one?

Reply 4

jellybeanjen

16

A CRB check is, as sapentia stated, a Criminal Records Bureau check. Enhanced checks are usually required for jobs where you'll be working with children or vulnerable adults (e.g. in a school, for social services, in a care home for the elderly, for some charities) to make sure you've not committed any crimes that may pose these people harm. CRB checks are valid for 3 years and need renewing after this point. Some companies will accept an in-date CRB from another company as proof that you have a clean record, others want to run checks of their own as the certificate's only clean the day you get it. I have three in-date and clean checks at the moment - one as a former social services employee, one as a student social worker, and one as a volunteer with Brownies. Some companies are happy to pay for your CRB, and others won't be. I think it costs about £40 to get one done off your own back. For more info on what CRB is and the CRB process, have a look at http://www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk/default.aspx.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 5

infernalcradle

15

just a piece of paper that says you are not a pedo/rapist/murderer etc.

Reply 6

ellakrystina

Original post by James4d

So I'm assuming unless you've committed a crime you won't have one?

Yes, hopefully you won't have a criminal history.
The CRB shows any criminal activity you've been involved in (assuming it's been recorded) and it basically proves to employers that you're safe. There are two types: Normal and Enhanced.

What job have you applied for? :smile:

Reply 7

Cirsium

19

Original post by James4d

So I'm assuming unless you've committed a crime you won't have one?

You don't get one given to you for committing a crime: you apply for one when you want to apply for a job that needs one (in particular, anything involving kids). I've had about eight of them done :frown:

Reply 8

Baula

In order to work/volunteer in a position with vulnerable people (usually relates to working in schools) you MUST have a CRB check. On this document it will state any cnvictions (if any) etc that u may have and this determines whether it is safe for you to work in this position of trust.
I think they cost around £30ish and they need copies of docs like passports to be valid

Reply 9

OP

Original post by ellakrystina

Yes, hopefully you won't have a criminal history.
The CRB shows any criminal activity you've been involved in (assuming it's been recorded) and it basically proves to employers that you're safe. There are two types: Normal and Enhanced.

What job have you applied for? :smile:

A drama teacher :biggrin:

Original post by Bekaboo

You don't get one given to you for committing a crime: you apply for one when you want to apply for a job that needs one (in particular, anything involving kids). I've had about eight of them done :frown:

Did each one cost you? I think the price of it is ridiculous, surely it can't be that complicated to check a person's name with the police department to ensure the safety of children, without making a profit...

Reply 10

Eric7

It's meant to help employers get an idea what your past is like.
i remember when i was helping with Scouts and needed to get one when i was like 18 and was quite scary, even though it was clean as a whistle

Reply 11

dotty_but_good

Volunteer organisations can get them for free, which is a good thing given how many people need them for many places like the canoe club of which I am a member.

Reply 12

Baula

Original post by James4d

A drama teacher :biggrin:

Did each one cost you? I think the price of it is ridiculous, surely it can't be that complicated to check a person's name with the police department to ensure the safety of children, without making a profit...

Mine didn't cost me because the uni paid for it but usually you're meant to pay from what my friends have told me about it.
Your record has to be checked by police in various areas you have lived in so it can take time. It is a lot to pay but someone needs to be paid for doing the check..

Reply 13

jimcatinnes

2

I had to get one for volunteering with a children's charity.

It came through and there were no problems, just like I thought, but then a week after my volunteering had finished I got a phone call from the head of the charity saying:
"Why did you lie to us with your CRB check? I have just reviewed your case and you have been charged with GBH on more than one occasion, had I known I would never have let you volunteer with this charity."

Then 10 minutes of me thinking wtf just happened I got another phone call:
"I'm terribly sorry I read the code wrong, you haven't been charged with anything" and then they hung up the phone.

I think I had this look for the rest of the day: :lolwut:

Reply 14

Cirsium

19

Original post by James4d

Did each one cost you? I think the price of it is ridiculous, surely it can't be that complicated to check a person's name with the police department to ensure the safety of children, without making a profit...

Nope. The three schools I have worked in have all paid for it to be done on their behalf; and the others I had done for scouts / guides / Mencap / church / being a STEP ambassador have all been volunteer roles, so you are entitled to having it done for free.

Reply 15

Sapientia

11

Original post by James4d

So I'm assuming unless you've committed a crime you won't have one?

You apply for one, if you're clean, it comes back clear.

Reply 16

Sapientia

11

Original post by James4d

A drama teacher :biggrin:

Did each one cost you? I think the price of it is ridiculous, surely it can't be that complicated to check a person's name with the police department to ensure the safety of children, without making a profit...

If you're going to be working in a school or with children then you need an Enhanced one.

Reply 17

OP

Original post by Sapientia

If you're going to be working in a school or with children then you need an Enhanced one.

Yeah, from what I've read that seems to be the case. Just it seems a lot for me to get one for the off-chance a school will employ me..

Reply 18

ellakrystina

Original post by jimcatinnes

I had to get one for volunteering with a children's charity.

It came through and there were no problems, just like I thought, but then a week after my volunteering had finished I got a phone call from the head of the charity saying:
"Why did you lie to us with your CRB check? I have just reviewed your case and you have been charged with GBH on more than one occasion, had I known I would never have let you volunteer with this charity."

Then 10 minutes of me thinking wtf just happened I got another phone call:
"I'm terribly sorry I read the code wrong, you haven't been charged with anything" and then they hung up the phone.

I think I had this look for the rest of the day: :lolwut:

Ouch, nice!

A few months before I had my first ever CRB check, a panorama programme reported on all of the mistakes on the CRB database. This poor guy had his laptop stolen and someone uploaded child porn on it before he got it back. The victim thought he was cleared of all of the images, but when he applied for a CRB check for his new job, the database had recorded that he was charged in possession of child porn. Upon chasing this up, he found that the courts had cleared him of 99% of the child porn but couldn't be certain that he hadn't downloaded the remaining1%. His now can't apply for certain jobs and it's costing him thousands of pounds in legal help...

Needless to say, after watching that I was very scared of having something dodgy on my report...

Reply 19

OP