CRB report - who's got one?

DiddyDave

DiddyDave

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Hi all

Really one for the pro or semi-pro this (however infrequently you're paid to do a job) - basically if you want to shoot kids you really should get one these days. No official organisation will allow you near kids without one hereabouts, and having one gives you an 'edge' over your competitors!(y)

Just wondering how many have these already or have been asked to present one?:thinking:
 
Up here in Scotland it's called a disclosure, I've had it done twice now for different jobs, never needed it but if your job brings you into contact with children the law says you must have one. It's gratifying to know that I'm not a criminal in any case :)
 
I've got the Basic Disclosure as provided by the English taxpayer-funded, Scottish quango

;)
 
got one for may job, as we work in Police stations / schools / childrens wards etc installing AV equipment, and it was a condition of the contract.
 
Is that means: that if you run photography studio and you shoot the kids in there you must get one of them? Or its more for event photography?
 
If you are self employed, you cannot obtain a CRB check for yourself, however if you are employed by a agency then yes, they can apply for one on your behalf.

My wife owns and runs a pre-school childrens establishment, and the only CRB check that will hold up for her is the one carried out by the Government agency she is affiliated to and endorsed by. She regularly has volunteers such as firemen, OAP's, Veterinary Surgeons spend time with the children illustrating their skills etc, all legally; and as long as they are not in on a regular basis (remember... togs are not likely to be at the same place with the same children on a regular basis) they don't need to have been CRB checked. The only condition is that the particular volunteer is never left alone with any child. She often has photographers in to take photographs of the children for their parents etc, and these photographers are not required to have had a CRB check. if my wife wants to check someone, she can apply to have the photographer CRB'ed herself, but the tog cannot do this for himself/herself.

I too have been CRB checked in the course of my job by my employers - prior to becoming self employed. I cannot obtain a CRB check now that I am self employed. Personally, I doubt if photographers are required to have CRB checks - if the employee of the photographer wants to get a CRB check done - then they can.
 
I have one for a previous job. Not sure how long they last, is it 3 years?
 
Ross said:
I have one for a previous job. Not sure how long they last, is it 3 years?
Click to expand...

No, there is no time limit or period of validity set for a CRB.

CRB's are only as valid as they are current - crimes can be committed immediately after a CRB is issued yeah? If you have had a CRB check carried out by a previous employer, it is up to the current requesting organisation to decide if a new CRB check is required.
 
I always thought there was 2 types

1. a CRB check - pay £10 fill in forms prove who you are at a cop shop and you can get one.

2. Full disclosure / enhanced CRB - usually done by employers etc. Cost a whole lot more.

I had one done a few years back when I was vetted for MOD clearance.
Dont know why as the MOD one was a major one, they wanted to know everything about me and everyone i knew, they even interviewed my friends and family, and all my past employers etc.
 
There are two types of disclosure.

Standard and Enhanced.

Standard is usually only required when coming into contact with children on an irregular basis.
Enhanced is for working closely with the vulnerable.
My wife works for a nursery, so has the enhanced one, but thats so she can change nappies, etc etc.


I'd like to get an Enhanced check myself, but the self-employed cannot apply for a disclosure for themselves, it has to be done by the organisation for which theyre representing.
I may have a way of getting the enhanced check myself (through an organisation who is willing to apply for me), as I may be doing some photos for them.
 
A CRB is valid for 3 years only.

I have an enhanced one because of the nature of the work that I do. Anyone that is in direct contact with children because of the nature of their job is required to have one.

Chris
 
They may theoretically last for 3 years, but I needed one for a teaching course 2 years ago, I needed another one in May when I joined a teaching agency, and then needed another in July when I started my present job. :shake: :wacky:

It seems some employers may want a new CRB check regardless of how long ago a previous check was.

As long as they're paying though, it doesn't bother me. ;)
 
I have an enhanced one. Sad really. I haved helped on school trips, school projects etc for sometime and this year had to get one.
 
OK, let's get the facts in order here before mass panic sets in amongst photographers.

Quite simply, there is no legal requirement for photographers to have a CRB check. Period. It's as simple as that.

As I have already pointed out, and as Marcel also points out above, as a self employed person you simply cannot apply for a CRB check on yourself. However, as DiddyDave suggests, a professional body such as the SWPP can request a CRB check of you (so long as you are a fully paid up member mind you) - but even then, you still have to pay for this. You should then receive a copy of this CRB detail. If you are employed as a photographer, then your employer can request a check to be carried out.

The decision as to if you should have one or not is entirely yours, your employers, or your clients. If you want one and are self-employed: join a professional body such as the SWPP; if you are employed as a photographer: then get your employer to apply for one; your clients can also ask if you are CRB'd.

Importantly: there is some very misleading information on the SWPP www site which is totally incorrect. It's only a phrase, a single word in fact, but in legal terminology it is extremely misleading. The www site states;

IMPORTANT: DO YOU PHOTOGRAPH CHILDREN?

Have you been checked recently by the CRB?

Who needs to be checked?

Anyone who is working with children or vulnerable adults whether in a paid or unpaid capacity will need to have either a Standard or Enhanced Disclosure.

The item highlighted in bold is simply not true. The correct legal terminology should read;

Anyone who is working with children or vulnerable adults whether in a paid or unpaid capacity may need to apply for either a Standard or Enhanced Disclosure.

There is no legal requirement for photographers to have a CRB check done. I am astonished that a photographers professional body has this incorrectly published on their www site.

If you are photographing children then the parents of course have the right to ask any photographer if they have one, and subsequently they have the right to ask you to leave if you cannot validate or substantiate claims that you do. The law - rightly of course - protects the parents and the children.

In todays day and age, being a member of, or affiliated to a professional body who can obtain one on you is of course a pragmatic thing to do.

But for the SWPP to state that anyone working with children needs to have a CRB check done - is blatantly incorrect.

Being part owner of a pre-school nursery business, and having regularly tutored music students for the local education authority, I have valid CRB checks. As a photographer though, I don't need one per sé.
 
I need to go the the dentist, but it's not a legal requirement

I see what you're saying John, but I still see a difference. I understand this need as a professional 'need' i.e. a damn good idea, to calm concerns and show professionalism rather than them saying it's a legal must

Bit like you need a back-up camera if you're doing a Wedding. Strictly speaking of course you don't, but if anyone said such you'd agree with them that you do in fact need it

I'm away in 2 mins! But I'll check SWPP's opinion on this 'legal' statement when I get back Monday if anyone's interested? :shrug:
 
I agree with you Dave, and fully subscribe to the pragmatist in each of us that it is surely the right thing to do i.e. get registered with a professional body, and ask them to undertake a CRB check for you. However, I have two concerns here:
  1. I, and many others here are not members of a professional body, and are not qualified as photographers as we do this as a hobby, and so I cannot take advantage of their service (I assume)
  2. The information the SWPP present on their pages is undoubtedly misleading in that it suggests photographers must register with them for a CRB check - which isn't the case. If they clearly stated that is is their opinion that photographers should register with them for a CRB check - then I wouldn't have issue with this
I guess it's the legal training in me (started but did not quite finish a Law degree), and the fact that I am a typical Project Manager that causes me to be so pedantic and play devils advocate about such matters.
 
My ride hasn't turned up yet - he's late!

I've been a tax planning lawyer for 11 years now dealing with solicitors daily and barristers too - pedantic is my middle name! LOL

Shall we simply conclude with...

CRB check, if you can get one it's a good idea!

(Good marketing angle in fact if nothing else!) - really am off now!
 
I have a full one, never even thought about needing it for photographing kids, as I mainly do nightclub photography (although I'm sure there'll be "kids" in there somewhere). I carry my public liability insurance certificate with me, time to start carrying CRB maybe? Or at least a photocopy.
x
 
The rugby club got me an enhanced one for when I take pics of the mini and junior rugby. Have had an enahnced one before also when worked for Connexions as that was working with under 18's.
 
I have the Enhanced one, it's a necessity these days.
 
This whole business can get very messy indeed if you're unlucky enough to come across pictures that are in any way suspect.

I used to work as a business advisor with a company that had contracts with job centres to help unemployed people start and run their own business, naturally we came across some that wanted to turn their hobby into a photography business.

One of our advisors was looking through a portolio and came across some pictures that could perhaps be considered borderline, at this point he was implicated and has no legal choice but to report it (or be considered legally complicit).

He discussed the matter with his lawyer, and was advised he had to make a report, following this he faced a barrage of interregation which went on for months and for which he had to pay his own lawyers costs. There was no thanks, just suspicion.

After this, if anyone wanted to be a photographer we asked them if they'd considered a plumbing course.
 
I have one due to my job it has to be renewed every 3 years, every one in my house hold over 16 also has to have one but I never thought about it for photography.
Bob
 
I think it was SWPP I got mine with, or it might have been the Fed for Small Businesses, they'd negotiated a discount for members if I remember rightly.
 
i've had and enhanced disclosure due to my partner being a registered childminder.
 
A word of caution; CRBs are not in any way transferable. I’ve got two; one for my full time job and one for the agency I do work for, doing the same job.

Just because I’ve got a CRB that enables me to assist removing a childs tonsils or appendix; does not mean that a few weeks later I can take his/her photo for their football club etc. under the cover of the same CRB.

Once issued a CRB is open ended; as long as you work for that employer, if I stay with my present job for another 25 years I won’t need another, If I was to start work for another agency I would have to get another CRB.

If a photographer is issued with a CRB to carry out a shoot or commission; that CRB ends with that job. If someone else asks you to carry out a similar job some time in the future; you will need another CRB. They are not overly expensive; but at certain times of the year they can take weeks to come through
 
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