Just an update on the CRB folks. Im not too sure the FA arent doing checks for a tenner as suggested by the recent posts unless they are subsidising them. The last time i knew it was around £30+ and that was some years ago. There are 2 types, regular and enhanced the latter costing more. The basic admin costs are £16 alone. If you are going to do voluntary work with it then its only the admin fee that is payable. However, if its payed employment then for the enhanced version the cheapest i have seen is £51. No matter what the £16 admin fee is payable to the Bureau by whoever requests the search and the rest is profit going to the umbrella body who handles the transaction between whoever is requesting the search on you and the government body carrying out the search. Therefore even if it were being subsidised by the FA the very least you could expect to pay is £16. Receiving your copy of it can vary also with times ranging from 3 weeks to months.
You cannot apply for 1 on yourself. Only a registered body can apply for checks to be done and they have to have a good reason for carrying out the check. ie - your neighbour couldnt apply for a check to be done on you - unless said neighbour was registered to do so and had good reason for needing a check to be done ie offering you a job in a school or working with children.
My advice would be if you have a good relationship with a school then i would approach them to do 1 for you as they have all the relevant paper work that you would need and may also not even charge you if they were to benefit in some way by you obtaining 1. i.e. some free sessions.
As a final footnote a bank could request 1 if offering you a position of employment, but obviously it wouldnt be your suitability to work with children that was being checked, however that would show as well.
