Will partners conviction ruin my chances?

**festactown** · 29-08-2009, 05:08 PM

Hello everyone
I'm new to the forum, I hope I can get some advice. I have been working in a preschool for 2 years now and have decided that I would like to be a childminder after a lot of thought. I am married with 2 children aged 2 and 4 and live with my husband.
However my husband has an unspent criminal conviction (convicted 18 years ago and spent 4 years in prison for carrying drugs) . It is his only conviction and he has built a career from scratch since then. I know he will need a CRB check which we will obviously declare this. My question is - do you think it means an automatic no for me as a childminder? Should I not bother to apply? It would be such a shame as I would love to do it.
Thank you for any feedback
Festactown

**sarah707** · 29-08-2009, 08:12 PM

Nobody knows what Ofsted will say until you apply and they get the results of your CRB checks.

Unfortunately that means you have to do the course first which will be a waste of your time if they then do not register you.

I suggest you take advice from both your local people and Ofsted, being as honest as possible about the conviction etc.

Good luck!

**Pippa31** · 29-08-2009, 08:54 PM

Hi,

I would give Ofsted a ring and ask them. They will tell you what your chances are. Not really up on CRB's but from this forum people do have problems with partners pasts but do manage to work through it.

I am sure someone will be along with some advice soon....

Good Luck

**Blaze** · 29-08-2009, 08:59 PM

I would go ahead - think it will mean an interview with your hubby & ofsted inspector - but as long as you are up-front about it, as it was such a long time ago & your hubby is now a different person & a daddy & he was a young foolish man at the time...don't think it will be a problem.

**sarahbcrofts** · 29-08-2009, 09:41 PM

On my course we were told that it is mainly convictions for violance and sexual offences that cause the problems. Convictions for drugs unless they are recent or were for a very serious offence usually won't stop an application. My advice would be to ring Ofsted and speak to your local childminding coordinator at your council that you are applying through. Good luck!

**shelly03** · 06-10-2009, 09:30 AM

HI JUST A PRIOR WARNING. A lot of people dont realise that if your partner or anybody in your household has had a previous conviction whether it be a fight in a chip shop or something juvenile. If it disqualifies them from working with children then you are also consequently disqualified. Therefore if you work with children like you said in a pre-school, You will be comitting an offence by going to work unless you inform your employer that you have been disqualified due to partners history. Completely unfair I know and ofsted may waive the disqualification but during the process of applying for this waiver and interviews etc. You will be stuck in a no win situation as to inform your employer or quit your job. Awful I know but it happened to somebody I know. Just thought I better warn you. You need to check the list of offences that disqualifiy a person from working with children before you go declaring all to ofsted. To be honest I think it is mostly violence, fighting not sure about drugs.

**wendywu** · 06-10-2009, 11:17 AM

Makes no sense to me at all this system.

It seems people like Ian Huntly with previous history manage to get jobs in schools. Where do these checks go wrong then that the really serious cases KEEP slipping through the net

**Tatjana** · 07-10-2009, 08:11 PM

I don't see how her partner having a previous conviction is connected with her job in a preshcool, it's not him working there or having contact with the children.

At my 2 day training course, we were told about a lady whose husband had previously committed armed robbery, it was in his youth and had since turned his life around...Ofsted interviewed him and allowed the lady her registration.

I think you should go for it.

xx

**shelly03** · 08-10-2009, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by Tatjana

I don't see how her partner having a previous conviction is connected with her job in a preshcool, it's not him working there or having contact with the children.

At my 2 day training course, we were told about a lady whose husband had previously committed armed robbery, it was in his youth and had since turned his life around...Ofsted interviewed him and allowed the lady her registration.

I think you should go for it.

xx

I know it sounds unbeleivable but if you have some body in your household who has a criminal conviction. You are classed as disqualified too. Read the ofsted guide to registration it does state that if anybody in your house is disqualified you will be too. The catch is that once ofsted are aware if you are already working with children you have to declare it to your boss until the waiver is accepted or your employer could get in to trouble. The person I know gave up her job and then her partner was accepted for a waiver. Absolutely ridiculous I know.

Pipsqueak · 08-10-2009, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by shelly03

I know it sounds unbeleivable but if you have some body in your household who has a criminal conviction. You are classed as disqualified too. Read the ofsted guide to registration it does state that if anybody in your house is disqualified you will be too. The catch is that once ofsted are aware if you are already working with children you have to declare it to your boss until the waiver is accepted or your employer could get in to trouble. The person I know gave up her job and then her partner was accepted for a waiver. Absolutely ridiculous I know.

That is not necessarily the case or true. A minder I know - her ex-husband cannot be in the house or on the premises whilst she is childminding (ex-husband still comes to the house to see his child and take her out etc), another minder I know - her partner has restrictions upon him as to when he can be in the house in relation to her minding - although this works ok because he is out of the house working when she is.

Not sure which is worse - restrictions on you in your own home or getting automatically disqualified because of partners convictions.

My good friend and her mum mind together and they all live in one big house, the son (friends brother) has just been released from prision due to drug related offences and Ofsted have cleared him to be in the house whilst minding take place. (I feel I must add though that the son took the rap for his soon to be ex-wife as the drugs were hers and he didn't want the kids to see mummy in prison, but the wife then heaped more on him to the police!).