crb check for a work placement - do I need to pay?

blackshinydog

Hi guys,

I am a student at university and have to undertake a 5 week unpaid work placement which requires me to have a CRB check.

The university are charging me £50 for my CRB enhanced disclosure.:( However, I won't be getting paid for this work placement and according to the Home Office, volunteers get their CRB checks for free. I know this from prior experience (I currently volunteer in a school and my enhanced CRB was free of charge for this).

The Home Office criteria for being a volunteer states:

"The CRB defines a volunteer to be ‘a person who performs an activity which involves spending time, unpaid (except for travelling and other approved out-of-pocket expenses), doing something which aims to benefit someone (individuals or groups) other than or in addition to close
relatives".

Would you say that I would be classed as a volunteer? And if so, how can the university possibly get away with this?

All advice greatly welcomed.
Thanks heaps

SarEl

Because you are not a volunteer at this time. You are on a placement - the person benefitting is you! If this is a compulsory part of your course then you are responsible for the costs of it just as you are responsible for the costs of any other part of your study. If it isn't compulsory then you don't have to do it and so you then don't have any costs.

Realbairn

Not sure if it depends on what you're doing or not. I had placements whilst at uni, all of which were unpaid, and the uni paid for my crb as it was a requirement for the course and its placements. Maybe check with crb themselves.

kingfisherblue

I finished uni two years ago. I had to pay for my own CRB disclosure for my placements, even though it was a requirement of the course.

The amount, I believe, is £44 for an enhanced CRB, but the uni is allowed to charge an administration fee - hence the cost being £50.

Savvy_Sue

As above, it's true that volunteers get CRBs free, but NOT if you're on a placement of this kind. If you want to argue with the university about this, it's them you need to argue with. Best of luck ... there's probably something in your course material or your offer letter which states that you're liable for this.