Are Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks required for all visitors or volunteers to schools and colleges?
• Visitors Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks are not required for visitors. Visitors do not have unsupervised access to children. • Volunteers Checks are required for those who have regular and unsupervised access to children and young people. However, schools and colleges have been advised by CRB and in Safeguarding children and safer recruitment in education that a robust risk assessment should take place first. Schools and colleges should be able to provide such risk assessments and be able to explain the rationale for those who have been checked and those who have not. The key test is ‘frequent’ or ‘intensive’ contact with learners. The definition of ‘frequent’ and ‘intensive’ was clarified in December 2009 by Sir Roger Singleton and the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.
