CRB

Back when I started the new contract, I had to fill in a form online to kick off getting my CRB Check done. (It’s a requirement of the industry for this particular type of contract, and not something I have a problem with) That was at the end of September.

It finally came through on Friday – a month after my initial contract was due to end, and a mere two weeks before my extended contract is due to end.

It’s taken three full months to come in. Imagine if I’d been waiting for that CRB before I could start work in a new job? I could’ve done a full three-month contract in the time it’s taken to appear.

There’s been no indication of what caused the delays, no apology, nothing. Just a final “All clear” half-sheet of A4.

(And on a tangent, who knew that the CRB no longer exists, and it’s now the “Disclosure and Barring Service“?)

The thing is – that CRB check is effectively already out of date, and inherently useless.

All it does is show that I’ve not been cautioned/charged/convicted with anything until now, which is somewhat reassuring to employers etc., but that’s as good as it gets.

I could be charged tomorrow with something relevant – and they’d never know. Indeed, in this case I could’ve been charged with something anytime from mid-December, and they wouldn’t know. So it’s effectively pointless by the time they’ve received it.

As such, for anything other than verifying that I’ve been honest (in saying that I’ve no convictions) it’s absolutely pointless.