CRB problems

Jenny Willot has been drawing attention to the increasing delays in getting, and costs of getting, CRB checks. It seems that not only is the system proving rather expensive for organisations and/or job applicants, the delays are actually causing people to lose job offers.

Obviously we all know we need some form of checking. But I do wonder whether the CRB system as it stands needs an overhaul. Because of the work I do, and the other things I am involved in, I have had to fill in quite a few forms for checks. At one time three organisations were involved. As my check had come back from the first form I assumed it would be OK to just show that form to the other organisations. But no. Each check had to be done separately. Now as it happened this cost me nothing as the organisations were paying. But given that these included voluntary organisations who were not that heavy on the cash, it seems bizarre that a certificate (particularly if it for the enhanced CRB) just can't be used over and over again in the time frame it covers. Now I realise that it is of course possible that I could have, since getting the first check, gone off on a mad crime spree. But how likely is that?

I also know of people who have come perilously close to not taking up jobs they had wanted, interviewed for and been offered, because of the delays in the system. Not everyone is in the happy position of being able to wait for an income to start.