Red tape halts patrol

There are fears lives are being put at risk while red tape stops a crossing patrol position on a busy Southwell road being filled.

A candidate passed initial checks and started work outside Holy Trinity Infants’ School, Westgate, but then had to stop as further checks had to be completed.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, applied for the position after an Advertiser story in September highlighting parents’ fears over safety.

She started on November 4 — becoming the first crossing warden on Westgate for more than three years — but could not return the next day because child safety checks had not been finalised.

A friend, Barbara Cray, of Lower Kirklington Road, has been helping her during the application process.

She first become involved after the woman was unable to contact Nottinghamshire County Council about the position.

She said she was not able to get through on the number advertised by the county council despite trying several times.

Barbara Cray, who is involved in Southwell 20’s Plenty For Us campaign group, said she found the correct number via the school. It ended up being an Ollerton number rather than the 0844 number advertised.

Barbara Cray said the woman, after successfully applying, was sent a letter with a start date of November 4.

The county council delivered the uniform and lollipop, but Barbara Cray said the woman did not hear anything else, other than that someone was supposed to be with her on her first day.

Barbara Cray said the woman went out and did the job on November 4 but no one from the council turned up. The woman rang to say she did the job, but was told they had not yet processed all the forms.

Since then there have been problems with identification documents.

Barbara Cray, who has a child at Holy Trinity, said: “It just seems completely stupid. It is just bureaucracy gone mad.

“We desperately want people to cross the road with assistance and while all this time is being wasted someone could have been killed on that road.”

Barbara Cray said what they really needed was a pedestrian crossing.

The head of Holy Trinity Infants’ School, Mrs Julie Rischer, said: “Obviously we are disappointed that the crossing patrol can’t take up her job yet.

“However, we are also really appreciative that the council is following child protection procedures.”

The leader of the town council, Mr Peter Harris, said there was real concern about the bureaucracy involved.

“They discourage people volunteering to do it as concerned parents because they have got so many rules to make it so difficult for people,” he said.

He said parents at Lowe’s Wong junior and infants’ schools had also found difficulty in applying for the empty position on Queen Street.

There has not been a patrol there for two years.

A county council spokesman confirmed that the lady completed pre-employment checks and was offered the position and given a start date, but in the meantime further information was needed for the CRB check, as the lady did not give the exact details asked for.

The spokesman said: “As a result of this, various forms of identification were requested instead.

“As the checks had not been completed at the time, the lady was not expected to start work on November 4. That is why no one was with her on that day.

“A member of the road safety team has since been in touch with the lady and the school to explain the situation.

“We appreciate that this is frustrating, but we are required to have certain checks in place before people start work.”

Southwell’s county councillor, Mr Bruce Laughton told town councillors that he understood the CRB check would be processed as quickly as possible, and a patrol could be in place within three weeks.