From: Arnold, Douglas J
Sent: 14 April 2011 21:25
To: Patrick, Peter L
Subject: Fwd: Student Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Checks and Student
Membership
Attachments: Student Membership and CRB Policy - July 2010.doc; ATT00001.htm;
CRB Policy - Appendix A.pdf; ATT00002.htm
Date:
8 April 2011 13:38:40 GMT+01:00To:
hods - Heads of Departments <hods@essex.ac.uk>, da-acsec - Administrators - Depts and Centres <da-acsec@essex.ac.uk>, "Carey, Claudia" <ccarey@essex.ac.uk>, "Wood, Nicola" <nicolaw@essex.ac.uk>, "Snow, Christine A" <casnow@essex.ac.uk>, "Andrews, Nicola" <nandrews@essex.ac.uk>, "Bodsworth, Hannah L" <hlbods@essex.ac.uk>, "Singleton, Wendy A" <wsingle@essex.ac.uk>, "Bard, Bea" <bbard@essex.ac.uk>, "Hollas, Lauren" <lhollas@essex.ac.uk>, "Norris, Elizabeth M" <emnorris@essex.ac.uk>, "Monk, Lesley A" <lamonk@essex.ac.uk>, "Wicks, Claire" <cwicks@essex.ac.uk>, "Harrington, Claire" <charr@essex.ac.uk>, "Waight, Tina" <tinaw@essex.ac.uk>, "Rowland, Keith H" <krowland@essex.ac.uk>, "Evans, Alison J" <ajevans@essex.ac.uk>Cc:
"Poole, Victoria S" <vpoole@essex.ac.uk>, "Frost, Rachel" <frostr@essex.ac.uk>, "Harrison, Suzanne" <sharris@essex.ac.uk>, "King, Terry" <kingt@essex.ac.uk>, "Sayer, Cassandra" <csayer@essex.ac.uk>, "Chetham, Amanda" <alchet@essex.ac.uk>, "Tracey, Heather F" <hftracey@essex.ac.uk>, "East, Nicola" <neast@essex.ac.uk>, "Antrobus, Pauline" <antrp@essex.ac.uk>, "Clifton-Sprigg, Wendy" <wclifton@essex.ac.uk>Subject: Student Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Checks and Student Membership
Dear all,
I'm writing to let you know about
some changes related to the policy and processes associated with Criminal
Records Bureau (CRB) checks and Student Membership. The changes are set out
below under relevant headings:
1. Current status of CRB checks
Students are required to undertake a
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check if their course or other activity conducted
at the University involves working with children and/or vulnerable
adults. The Government has undertaken a review of the CRB process and the
planned Vetting and Barring Scheme and recommendations have been made which may
impact on some of the checks that we conduct. However, until we have a
clearer idea about how these changes will be implemented, we will continue to
conduct CRB checks in line with our existing procedures. We will provide
further news as necessary.
2. Student CRB Policy and Membership
Process
The University's CRB policy is
reviewed annually and in 2010 the decision was taken to incorporate the
Membership process so that both CRB and Membership issues are managed within
the same policy and procedures. The Membership process considers cases
where applicants with a declared criminal conviction apply to study at the
University and was formerly managed under separate Membership
Procedures. For Membership cases, the application is now forwarded by the
Admissions team to the CRB Administrator once a positive academic
decision has been made and the conviction is considered in accordance with
the new Student CRB and Membership Policy (attached).
3. Responsibility for Student
CRB/Membership
Overall responsibility for the
CRB/Membership policy and process will remain within the Systems Administration
team in the Academic Section. On the Colchester campus, the student ID checks
required as part of the CRB process are currently undertaken in room 6.101.
With effect from 9 May 2011, the checks will be managed via the Registry desk,
a change designed to improve the overall student experience by ensuring that
student-facing services are managed in one place. Applicants and
students affected by this change will be informed as part of the process. On
the Southend campus, the ID checks will continue to be managed via the Student
Administration desk.
I have overall responsibility for
the CRB policy and procedures and am supported by Vicky Poole, who joined the
team in February 2011 as a Graduate Trainee. Part of Vicky's
responsibilities is the role of CRB Administrator and she manages the
operational aspects of the CRB process. Vicky can be contacted on Tel: 01206
872990, email: vpoole@essex.ac.uk. Rachel Frost, who has
led on CRB matters for a number of years alongside her role as Administrative
Officer (Registration and Graduation), will remain involved in the process
where it links to registration.
4. CRB Charges
We have recently received
notification from the Criminal Records Bureau that the costs of the checks
would increase with effect from 6 April 2011. The cost of an enhanced CRB
check will now be £44.00 each. Checks conducted for volunteers will remain free
of charge. This charge will continue to be paid directly to the
CRB by the University and the costs then re-charged to Departments for the
checks that have been undertaken. The internal administration fee of £15
will remain unchanged.
Please contact Vicky or me if you
have any questions on any of the above or other aspects of the CRB/Membership
policy or process.
Best wishes,
Richard
Richard Stock
Deputy Academic Registrar
University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
CO4 3SQ
Tel: 01206 872989
Room: 6.119
Email: rstock@essex.ac.uk