Do I really need to put every address I've ever lived into a CRB check?

[wakeley58]

I have to get a CRB check for an MA course involving working with vulnerable adults. The thing is, I've lived abroad for the past 8 years in 5 different countries (more than 6 months in each)- do I really have to get a local police check for each place I've lived? Places like China and Egypt where I lived years ago and where I no longer know anyone well enough to help me would be next to impossible to get an official document. I've heard a couple of character references from my doctor, lawyer etc would be accepted instead, does anyone know if this is so? Would I get in trouble if I just put my parents UK address, to where all my official correspondence has been continuing to arrive and didn't mention anywhere else?

I've just like to add I have no criminal record or brushes with the law of any kind in any of the countries. I'm just trying to save myself a lot of stress as I'm in Colombia at the moment and arrive back in the UK 6 weeks before my course starts, so I'm panicking about trying to wade through 5 different bureaucracies from a part of the world where post takes 6 months to get anywhere, if it ever does.

[bachir93]

I thought a CRB check applied only to this country? If you know you have no offences I would only put down what you want,
I had one for a hospital volunteer some years ago but cant remember all this trouble.

[anson34]

You must provide addresses for the last 5 years on a CRB check, and also provide evidence of having lived at those addresses (i.e. old utility bills/bank statements). Letters from professionals are only accepted if you cannot provide 1 x photo ID (passport) and 2 x other documents to provide proof of ID & residence. Check out direct.gov.uk for current details as they are in the process of tightening up CRB checks.

[clem84]

For a CRB YOU do not do the checking it is done by the Criminal Records Bureau from the police PNC. To work for HMP I had to list every address I had ever lived in going back 40 years, They do check abroad for an Enhanced CRB, you could be a wanted criminal in any country you have lived in. This will obviously take some time ( as I was told at interview).
UK

You do NOT have to supply evidence that you have lived there. hardly likely I would have kept correspondence from 40 years ago.