CRB checks for photographers
If you want to go for jobs that involve contact with children, take note of some vital information you really can’t do without
Gone are the days when you could photograph a cute kid in the park without suspicion. It’s a sad truth, but we all know that the tragic events surrounding the abduction and abuse of children over recent years have resulted in the introduction of some rather tight legislation governing who can and cannot work with kids.
For the professional photographer serious about working with childrens’ organisations like schools and playgroups, it now makes good commercial sense to comply with this legislation and get yourself checked by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). It’s only a matter of time before you get turned down for a job because of a lack of paperwork, and advertising such credibility in your marketing material may go down well with more cautious parents.
We should add at this point that, for photographers, getting CRB certified isn’t legally required. However, just because it isn’t required by government, doesn’t mean the same goes for councils, who often see a CRB as mandatory for school and crèche photographers for instance.
Generally speaking a standard CRB (£31) will cover photographers in most situations, although a few councils now want an enhanced CRB check (£36), which has the advantage of taking less time to get processed.
Of course, as a photographer who’s been commissioned plenty of times before to photograph children, you may be thinking you may get away with all this, but it might not be worth the risk long term. It takes eight weeks for a standard CRB to arrive and many photographers have been turned away from jobs for not having the correct paperwork. With schools changing policies overnight, we’d advise you to get up to date.
To get a CRB check you must apply through an umbrella body, the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP) is probably the best for photographers. An umbrella body is a kind of admin service that, for a small charge, will deal with all the necessary paperwork. The form must be countersigned, and this is where employees of the umbrella body assist. All you need to send away is your application form, passport or driving licence (no copies) and a utility bill as proof of address. All offences, bar traffic offences, are shown on a CRB, and if there is any problem approving an application, the CRB itself will tell your chosen umbrella body and they, in turn, will pass this information to you. There are over 100 umbrella bodies – all can be found on the CRB website.
Although you don’t need to renew a CRB, it’s advised you re-apply every two years. For six months after issuing the certificate, the admin provider will hold onto a copy of it. When you receive your certificate carry it with you on any child-related project and rest safe in the knowledge the correct forms cover you.
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