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CRB Checks and Telford Town park

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Written by johnfranklyn

Wednesday, 08 October 2008

Telford Town Park has been the subject of much discussion over recent weeks.

We must remember that the initial issue was raised in 2007 when John Evans was asked to leave the Town Park when handing out leaflets about Town Park Boundaries, this issue was then recently duplicated when Telford and Wrekin Council Staff ejected Rachel Whittaker and Neil Donaldson were ejected from the Town Park after handing out leaflets about climate change.

We will all recall how the issue then progressed into a series of crazy rules and the misinterpretation of CRB requirements.

Telford and Wrekin Council wanted people who were handing out leaflets in the Town Park to have a CRB check as well as lone adults to be subject to giving reasons as to why they were in the Town Park.

This caused wide spread outcry and condemnation of a policy that would only serve to endanger the whole issue of child protection.

As a result of this, Telford Council Watch has asked questions with regards CRB checks under the FOI Legislation and these were the following replies to our questions,

Question 1

How many T&W Council Staff are employed to work within Telford Town Park?

Answer

30 (this includes full – time, part – time, seasonal and buildings ad cleaning staff)

Question 2

Can you advise how many contractors work within Telford Town Park?

Answer

14 Contracting Organisations

Question 3

Can you advise how many people rent ground or any area within Telford Town Park for any period of time in the year?

11 organisations and 8 graziers (ie individuals who rent land for grazing their horses)

Question 4

Can you advise how many of the above have been CRB Checked as they can and will come into contact with young and vulnerable people young people?

Answer

30 T&W council staff who are employed to work in the Town Park are all List 99 / CRB Checked.

Refusal Notice under s17 – Information Not Held

With regard the remaining organisations, relating to question 4 above, they may be List 99 / CRB Checked. Unfortunately, we do not hold this information as it is subject to the following exemption:-

Exemption :- Procedural

The reason(s) for this is:

The council does not hold this information and therefore is unable to release it.

Telford and Wrekin Council has provided a list of 25 organisations that use Telford Town Park for a variety of reasons, some will have staff checks or will not for various reasons.

This displays that Telford and Wrekin Council know about CRB checks, who requires them, but because of their procedure do not know who has CRB checks outside their organisation, but clearly gives them access to vulnerable young people, in the areas they say that they are monitoring residents in.

This further displays that Officers in Telford and Wrekin Council interpreted the legislation in the way they wanted to interpret it.

Telford and Wrekin Council have provided a list of contractors so I can forward my questions to them.

As Telford and Wrekin Council have said they have a duty of care to our children, they should know who is having access to our children, having access to their areas and should be in a position to tell us who has been checked to the relevant level.

Unfortunately, they clearly choose to apply policy in a spurious way and will almost make things up to prove their control.

This makes me wonder about the people who have access to schools and the checks they are or are not having.

Or as a resident, are we expected to put up with rules they clearly do not apply evenly across the board, even to their own contractors and partners?

Comments

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Sheila Cooper

|Registered |2008-10-22 22:07:34

Are the people who work in 'Wonderland' CRB'd? They aught to be - their main customer group is children.

I am often in the park, on my own (well, with the dogs, but they don't count) but no one has ever stopped me or asked me what I am doing there or asked me to leave. I walk in what I call the 'wild' bit (as opposed to the 'pretty' bit) of the park and often meet other lone dog walkers. As far as I know, none of them have been stopped and checked either, so this rule only seems to apply to those in the Town Centre end of the park and only if they are giving out leaflets. The Big Issue vendors don't get questioned, but maybe they are all CRB'd?

Sheila Cooper

|Registered |2008-10-22 22:08:41

Anyway, the CRB check only shows that you've NOT been caught being up to no good!

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