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19 March 2009
Strong safeguards to protect children and vulnerable adults were set out in greater detail by the government today ahead of the launch of the vetting and barring scheme (VBS) later this year.
The scheme, which is at the heart of the government's strategy to increase the protection of vulnerable members of our society, begins on 12 October.
The UK already has one of the most advanced systems in the world for checking those who work in positions of trust with children and vulnerable adults.
More safeguards starting in October
Increased safeguards will start coming into effect from 12 October. Within five years, around five million more jobs and voluntary positions — including most NHS jobs — will have become subject to checks. This means many more people posing a risk to the vulnerable will be excluded from the workplace.
Additional safeguards starting in October are:
- reduction of red tape - two barring lists will be administered by a single organisation, the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), rather than the three lists currently maintained by two different government departments: Protection Of Children Act (POCA), Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoVA) and List 99
- the introduction of barring from ‘regulated activities’ – people included on the new ISA lists will be barred from a much wider range of jobs and activities than before, particularly in areas of work with vulnerable adults such as the NHS
- a new duty to share information - employers, social services and professional regulators will have to notify the ISA of relevant information so individuals who pose a threat to vulnerable groups can be identified and barred from working with these groups
- new criminal offences – it will become a crime for a barred individual to seek or undertake work with vulnerable groups; and for employers to knowingly take them on.
From 26 July 2010 all new entrants to roles working with vulnerable groups and those switching jobs within these sectors will be able to register with the VBS and be checked by the ISA.
Registration will include employers being continuously informed of an employee’s suitability to work. To ensure robust testing and maximise the safety of vulnerable groups, the mechanism that keeps employers informed of an employee’s suitability to work will also be introduced in July next year rather than October 2009.
So as not to disrupt normal recruitment over the traditionally busy summer period, the legal requirement for employees to register with the VBS and employers to check their status will come into force in November 2010.
Statement from Home Office Minister
Meg Hillier said, 'The protection of children and vulnerable adults is a priority for the government. The extra safeguards we are delivering from 12 October and next year will help remove an even greater number of unsuitable people who pose a potential risk to vulnerable groups from the workforce.
'We already have one of the most comprehensive vetting systems in the world. Once employers start being updated with new information about their employees from July 2010 it will offer even greater protection.'
The VBS is designed to offer a more stream-lined, faster system of workplace vetting for those working with children and vulnerable adults building on existing good practices.
Direct response to the Bichard Inquiry recommendations
Good progress has already been made to deliver the Vetting and Barring Scheme, a direct response to the recommendations of the Bichard Inquiry (new window).
In January this year, the ISA took over responsibility from ministers for decisions on new cases referred under existing barring schemes (List 99, PoCA and PoVA) to ensure a smooth delivery of the scheme. The ISA has begun including or considering to include all barred individuals on the new lists.
The Home Office appointed Sir Roger Singleton as the chairman of the ISA and Adrian McAllister, as its chief executive. The Board members were announced last May.
Notes to editors
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (new window), which underpins the scheme, was passed by Parliament following the Bichard Inquiry's recommendations. It recognised the need for a single agency to vet all individuals who want to work or volunteer with vulnerable people.
This agency, the Independent Safeguarding Authority (new window) (ISA), is a component part of the scheme and was created in January 2008. A non-departmental public body sponsored by the Home Office, it will deal with referrals and decide who should be placed on its barred lists.
Currently, those whose work requires regular, intensive and unsupervised contact with children, those in schools and those in social care roles require a CRB check. Three lists held by Department of Health [Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoVA)] and Department of Children, Schools and Families [Protection of Children Act (PoCA) and List 99]. From October these lists will be combined into two – one for adults and one for children – administered by the ISA.
The new Scheme will have a much broader coverage with an estimated 11.3 million people needing to be registered up from around 6.5m who are checked today.
From July 2010, people registering with the scheme to work or volunteer with children or vulnerable adults will apply to the Criminal Records Bureau (new window) (CRB).
The CRB will check whether there is any relevant information from the police or referred information from other sources, such as previous employers or professional bodies. If there is relevant information, the CRB will pass this to the ISA, who will decide whether the applicant should be barred.
The scheme will be largely self-financing. From July, individual applicants wishing to seek work with vulnerable groups engaging in regulated or controlled activities will have to pay a fee of £64. Those who only wish to work as unpaid volunteers will not have to pay a fee. Employers will be able to check the registration status of the individuals they intend to employ on line and for free.
For more information call the Home Office press office on 020 7035 3535.
