Is the CRB check a suitable method of choosing a babysitter or child carer?

The CRB check (Criminal Records Bureau Check) is the check required of all people who work with or around children. It should be infallible and therefore totally dependable on - DISCUSS!

Personally, as the owner of MissMolly (A website that provides information for parents about Babysitters who

are available in their area) I would like to see all the registrations on my site to be from people with current CRB checks. However, an it is a big HOWEVER..

When asked during the construction of MissMolly whether I was going to vet the registrations it caused a lot of anguish in the office. If I decided to vet each and every registration, I would inevitably end up restricitng every parent's choice. This was not something we had set out to do.

Would I consider limiting the registrations to those people with current CRB checks? Initially I considered it to be a great idea, all the hard work of vetting carried out for free by a government institution. So we ran with it for a little while, and decided to help those without CRB checks to apply using us as an agent.

Big mistake. By applying to become an agent (all aplications have to go through an agent or agency initially) we discovered how easy it would be to sidestep all the initial security restrictions.

For example - A person with a conviction which involves the abuse of children would never be able to receive a 'clean CRB check'. However if the same person who had an eaqually nasty minded friend who had no conviction were to go into cahoots with each other the system breaks down.

Each CRB agent is the first line of access to the completed CRB check. It is the agent/agency that carries out the initial Identity check. The one who checks the identity documents and identifies the person to be who they claim to be. However, the person applying for the check never has to appear 'in person' to the agent. Rather they post their documentation to the agent who 'verifies' the identity. It doesn't take long to work out how two like minded individuals could work together to beat the system.

By starting this discussion I aim not to horrify everyone, rather to point out that the CRB check is not the perfect tool it appears to be at the outset.

From our own perspective at MissMolly we do not vet in the direct sense any of our registrations. We supply lots of information, some of which has already been posted very kindly by another Minti member, mirefoot, with regard to interviewing, checking and finally selecting your babysitter. It is for every parent and child to create a unique partnership with their child carers, and this involves a lot of effort and considerable time. But if, in the end, a long lasting and successful relationship can be achieved the everyone benefits. The child learns more about another adult, the parent gets 'time off' (for good behaviour you might add!) and the babysitter enjoys not only a financial reward but also a new relationship.

I hope this creates a healthy response.