I have just been elected to serve on my child’s pre-school committee and other committee members have told me that I need to have a CRB check. Is this correct?

Early years settings registered with Ofsted, on either the Early Years Register or the Childcare Register, must meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This includes submitting to checks by Ofsted on the suitability of the registered provider, which in the case of voluntary-run pre-schools are the trustees (committee members) of the setting.

Each new trustee will need to fill out a declaration and consent form (EY2) to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure. The EY2 form can be obtained from your local authority or downloaded from Ofsted's website and asks for a self-declaration of criminal records and other matters that determine suitability to work with or be in contact with children. Once each trustee has filled out an EY2, the forms should be sent to Ofsted who will liaise with the Criminal Records Bureau to carry out the checks.

After completing the checks, the Criminal Records Bureau will send a copy of the Enhanced Disclosure to the applicant and to Ofsted to inform them of the outcome.

The CRB recognises that the Enhanced Disclosure information can be extremely sensitive and personal; therefore it has published a Code of Practice and employers' guidance for recipients of Disclosures to ensure they are handled fairly and used properly.

Whenever there is a change to the individuals on the committee, the trustees will also need to fill out a notification form (EY3) which informs Ofsted that there has been a change to the "Registered Person or Provider".

If you would like further information on this topic, please contact the Information Service team who will be happy to help.

Email: Information Service
Tel: 020 7697 2595

Last updated: 15/09/2008