Blog - crbdirect.co.uk

17Apr 2020 by admin

Cheapest Ways to Homeschool the Kids

At the start of the year, very few of us thought that by the Easter holidays we'd be stepping into the shoes of their teachers. Schools have been shut in most parts of the UK since mid-March. Parents were told that they weren't expected to be professional educators. But all of us want to do our best and keep the kids learning during lockdown. Homeschool doesn't have to mean spending a fortune on materials, or trying to replicate what the teachers do in class. Homeschool - What is it? Schools vary in their approach to what parents are expected to do when schools are shut. Very few schools will expect parents to be sitting down with their children from 9am to 3pm teaching maths or English. Many schools are using…

02Apr 2020 by admin

Criminal Records Checks When Working Overseas

Thousands of us every year take the opportunity to work overseas. Whether it's a gap year working your way around the Far East, or a longer posting elsewhere in Europe, it's an experience not to be missed. There's a lot of paperwork and bureaucracy involved too. One of the most common requirements is for criminal records checks. Overseas employers want to make sure that you're trustworthy, honest and don't have a lengthy criminal record. However, there are some different rules and regulations when it comes to applying for a disclosure check for an overseas employer. UK Criminal Records Checks It's important to be clear what we're talking about here. If you live in the UK and work for a company based overseas, you aren't classed as a foreign worker. Just…

19Feb 2020 by admin

Disclosure Certificates – Stages of the Process

One of the main advantages of applying for Disclosure Certificates online is that you can track your application through the system. This can reassure you that your application is progressing as it should. However, if you're not up to speed with the different stages, and what they mean, it gets trickier. There are five main stages between sitting down to fill in the form, and the certificate arriving in the post. Stage 1 - The application form The first step is filling in the application form. It's easiest - and quickest - to do this online, but there is also a paper alternative. This is the stage of the process at which there is the opportunity for applicant error. On the other hand, get it right, and the following stages…

13Jan 2020 by admin

CRB Checks and Interpreters

The UK is a multi-cultural nation, with studies shown that there are over 300 languages spoken by children in London schools. Most people manage just fine in English and their native tongue. But on occasions, there is a need for people to receive information in their native language. Often, this is in a healthcare or legal setting. There's a huge difference between managing basic everyday conversation, and understanding complex language. Therefore, public bodies like the NHS and Police use interpreters to help. Sometimes working face to face, but more often on the end of the phone, the interpreter translates into the person's native tongue. It can be lucrative, interesting work for people who are fluent in more than one language. But getting a job as an interpreter isn't always straightforward,…

30Oct 2019 by admin

New Rules on Police Record Checks for Garage Owners

When was the last time you took your car for a MOT test? In most of the UK, all vehicles on the road go through an annual test to assess their safety. Owners have a high degree of flexibility over where they have their test done. There is a huge network of garages across the UK offering MOT tests. A recent announcement from the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) extends the need for basic police record checks to key personnel working within garages. So what's going on? Garages and MOT Checks Currently There are hundreds of MOT test stations in the UK, from the north of Scotland to the south of Cornwall. Thousands of vehicles go through the MOT test every year, with around two thirds passing first time.…

25Sep 2019 by admin

Criminal Records Checks and Tutors

Education in the UK is a pressurised business. Very young children take SATS tests and the 11 plus system is still the norm in many parts of the country. That's even before you get to the secondary school exams of GCSE or A-level. Most parents want their children to do as well as possible in school. If you can pay some extra to get a bit of professional help, most parents think it's well worth it. But how, as a parent, do you check up on the person who is advertising tuition for your child? Is it possible to get criminal records checks or DBS checks? Here's everything you need to know and think about. Registered teachers and criminal records checks Often, the very best option for tuition is to…

09Aug 2019 by admin

Disclosure Checks – Acronyms and Abbreviations

Abbreviations and jargon - don't you just hate them? There's nothing more confusing than watching a police or medical drama on TV and not being able to follow the plot because the characters speak in a string of initial letters. The legal profession loves their acronyms and disclosure checks are no exception. Whether you are the person getting the certificate, or an employer, you need to understand what it all means. Do you know your PVG from your CRB? No? Well read our handy guide to all the most common jargon, abbreviations and acronyms to make things clear. CRB or Disclosure Checks? CRB stands for Criminal Records Bureau. This is one piece of jargon which we really shouldn't be seeing for much longer. That's because the CRB ceased to exist…

02Jul 2019 by admin

CRB Certificates and Alternatives to Prison

Committing a crime doesn't automatically mean a prison sentence. In fact, most people who commit an offence don't go to prison. There are a range of other ways in which the court service can deal with offenders. Statistics show that 95% of first-time offenders don't end up in prison. For crimes such as theft, 77% of offenders are dealt with outside prison too. But a conviction is still a conviction, and when you apply for CRB certificates, will it still be listed? What options are open to the courts? Let's set one misconception to the side first. What happens to someone who has committed a crime isn't decided by the police. The police and prosecution service just present the case in court. The jury decides on innocence or guilt, and…

21Jun 2019 by admin

Candidate Experience Surveys

Getting a new job often involves a huge amount of form-filling. So from a candidate's point of view, hearing that recruiters are adding yet another layer of paper isn't a good thing. But candidate experience surveys can tell a business a lot about what they are doing well. Perhaps even more importantly, it can help flag up issues with the way in which they employ new staff. Whether you've been asked to fill in one of these surveys, or are in charge of analysing responses, here's everything you need to know. What are Candidate Experience Surveys? A candidate experience survey is about assessing how well your company's recruitment process is working. Everyone who gets to the interview stage in recruitment should be asked to complete a form, not just the…

07Jun 2019 by admin

Employment Verification – what’s it all about?

All employers have their own procedures when it comes to vetting the people going to work with them. Pre-employment checking is all about minimising risk. Employers have to make sure that their employees aren't going to cause them a financial lost, or cost them customers. Probably the best-known way of doing this is to apply for a CRB check, or a Disclosure check as it is now known. But there's a growing trend in employment verification too. What does this mean, and what is the process? What does Employment Verification mean? This process is really just another name for fact checking. It's hard to determine just how many CVs have factual inaccuracies. However, surveys indicate that as many as half may contain untruths. The most common things people tell fibs…