Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Vicar’s wife stopped from helping school
Red tape has stopped a vicar’s wife from volunteering at her children’s Black Country school.
Amanda Robbie, wife of the Rev Neil Robbie of Holy Trinity Church in West Bromwich, was informed that she needed a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, despite having had one carried out three months ago ahead of attending a children’s trip which was organised by the Diocese of Lichfield.
And she said mothers who want to help out at Holy Trinity Primary School will have to go to Sandwell Council House in Oldbury for an interview. The school recently appealed for volunteers to hear the children read but so far no-one has completed the necessary paperwork.
Mother-of-three Mrs Robbie, aged 42, said: “What I fail to understand is why my existing enhanced CRB disclosure, obtained in July this year, is not acceptable to Sandwell Council.
“I got that disclosure for helping on a young people’s residential summer holiday.
“Our sensible diocese did accept my existing disclosure for my work with young people in church on Sun-days. The diocesan policy is to accept ones less than six months old where the applicant has been known to the church all that time.
“Sandwell Council, bless their hearts, like to make it even more of a pain.
“So you have to go the council’s main offices for an interview to fill out the form. Apparently this was because the schools weren’t completing the forms correctly.”
Sandwell Council has also asked Mrs Robbie for two referees and her full employment history including all voluntary work.
Holy Trinity Primary School declined to comment, saying Mrs Robbie was entitled to her own opinion.
Cabinet member Councillor Ian Jones said: “It is bureaucratic but it is done with the best intentions.
“If Mrs Robbie had a CRB check done by the diocese, then that check would have remained valid for activities with the diocese. But in this case, Mrs Robbie is volunteering for work at a local authority school.”
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So as a result of all this ridiculous nanny-state red tape fewer people will bother to volunteer to become youth leaders; therefore youngsters will have fewer activities to partake of and enjoy; which in turn will leave them little else to do except just hang around on street corners; where they will rub shoulders with gang leaders and drug dealers who will find our youngsters something more ‘exciting’ to do instead.
New Labour joined-up government in a nutshell!
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I’ve not so much been stopped as held up, but stopped makes a better headline! Get more of the story and add your comments to the thread on my blog
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I would hope that anyone in the position of being involved with children would welcome a CRB check whether they have one in any other capacity or not. If we can ensure the safety of our children in any small way then i would be willing to wait until the necessary checks are made. I am not naive to think that this would ensure total protection as we only have to look at previous events involving children being harmed. The fact that someone needs to *get a headline* to me rings alarm bells.
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As someone who works for a local authority and also volunteers, I found the process overly bureaucratic. Councils don’t accept CRBs from other organisations and they generally don’t accept them from other departments in the same council. Due to changes of jobs etc I have been CRB’ed at least once a year for the last 10 years.
The government is moving to a centralised system of barring & vetting for people working with children and vulnerable person. Once registered a person’s record is updated centrally (as necessary) and organisations for whom that person works will be informed if their status changes.
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This is a lady who is no stranger to getting headlines. Think there was a story about men mags being too close to the bottom shelf I seem to remember. A good PR Woman for the church I would say.
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The CRB process is necessary but it’s also a royal pain in the ass – I now have 2 full disclosures as you need one for EVERY job/place you come into contact with children but teh amount of time it takes for them to come through is a joke, it holds everything up.
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Ray you’re an idiot – these rules are to protect children not your sensiblities regarding the nanny state. Think of the recent problems with people in responsiblity committing acts of child abuse and you somehow the state is too harsh. It cant win with you can it?
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Does this mean no parents can go in on the odd morning and help out at school as we did years ago?
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Karen. You have hit the nail on the head. You will be able to go in on the odd morning but only if you have completed your CRB check and had it cleared by the council.
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Karen-The answer is yes. You need a CRB check for anything to do with the care of children. Even if you volunteer in any school.
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