Police cautions - will they prevent a job as an FI

[hif1yer]

Hi all,

I recently passed my PPL and now I want to take the FI course to get some part-time work as an instructor. I noticed that you need to get an enhanced disclosure (formerly CRB check), when getting an instructor job, and now I'm worried.

I last got an enhanced CRB in 2008 and was horrified to see that it showed the two police cautions I received while a youngster back in 1997 and 2001. Apparently, these cautions will stay on my record forever and show on enhanced checks!

My question is - will two police cautions on my disclosure check (CRB) prevent me getting a job as an FI? I don't want to spend up-to 10k doing a course I can't use in the future.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I'm not an expert but I believe that the CRB itself is not a pass/failvthing. If they show up that will go to the school and/or whoever issues the airside pass. If yhey feel those cautions are a problem, then it's a problem.

That said, I'm a CRI who instructs part time. Whilst I have security and CRB checks for my day job, it's never been checked for my instructing. I've also had a conviction show up for one of my employees and took the deliberate decision to employ him anyhow.

So I doubt it'll be a problem and most places will never ask for any kind of CRB check anyhow.

G

[Parson]

I guess it will depend on what they were for. If relatively minor offences, they can probably be put down to 'experience' and growing up. If it was me and I was happy to talk about them if they came up in interview, then I wouldn't worry. It may go against you one day for one job but you can't live life like that for ever. Go for it.

[hif1yer]

Thanks for the advice - you're right I'm worrying too much and should stay positive. The cautions were just for minor things and I was young, so shouldn't be a deal-breaker. Thanks for giving me some insight into your experience with CRB checks, or lack of them, for general instruction positions.

[mad_jock]

I would be extremely surprised if any flight school has the permit to even get an enhanced CRC.

Its not a type of job that requires one as your not regularly working with children or vulnerable adults.

You may have to get a basic CRC for an airport pass if your working at an airport with restricted areas and you want into the control zone but that's it.

And I would be surprised if it showed up in a basic one from 2001.

Easy way to find out is just pay your money for one and see what it says on the basic.

[hif1yer]

Thanks for the advice abovetheclouds and madjock. That really puts my mind at ease.

I personally wondered why you need an enhanced check for instructing but I picked up on a few threads, here in the forum, such as this one CRB and CAA

I'm probably over-thinking this anyhow and will just worry about it if an issue ever comes up!

Cheers.

[mad_jock]

The rules since then have been relaxed somewhat and it was an initial knee jerk to a stupid arse covering statement form the CAA which was issued to basically cover there own bums.

At the time parents were being told to get an enhanced disclosure if they wanted to walk there mates kids to school and there was even talk about kids not being able to go to birthday parties unless the parents of the kid having the party had a disclosure. Its pretty much died a death in normal flight schools. The ones that's function is taking kids flying may have them and unless the crimes were of a sexual nature I would be surprised if they would effect the outcome of the job.

Lets face it virtually every male in the UK has had a pee up a lane on the way home when young on a Friday night. The only thing is some people got caught doing it and obtained a caution and the rest of us didn't. And you could never get charged with it if you were a woman as its perfectly legal for a female to squat down and pee where ever she likes.

[hif1yer]

Cheers for putting me straight with that madjock. I did think it was OTT to require the enhanced check! I realise that you may be instructing the occasional mid-teenager but it's not really a job I'd equate to regularly working with kids and vulnerable adults!

I'm glad I didn't pee my FI instructor career up the wall all those years ago! I got cautioned for similar scale incidents to what you've used as your example.

Thanks for the advice.

[gengen]

Hi. Ive instructed at 3 different flying schools and have not had any background checks. Two were at international airports that required airside passes, both of which were supplied by the flying school.