vetting and barring axed

[moogster1a]

Woohoo. The ridiculous vet and bar scheme has been put on hold.
What a mad idea in the first place. That you could be barred on rumours and hearsay and have to pay £60 odd for the privelige.
Don't anyone mention Soham, no mad money making scheme by a government is going to stop random nutters!

[Carol M]

Sarah beat you to post, perhaps someone can give you the link to the other thread so you can read others views,but yes, I tend to agree with you.
Carol x

[singlewiththree]

Ive just had an email from them and it just says it is going to be remodelled

July registration halted as VBS is remodelled

The Home Secretary, Theresa May, has today (15th June 2010) issued a statement to the House of Commons which confirms the stated intention of the coalition Government to review the Vetting & Barring and criminal records regimes to ensure that they are scaled back to common sense levels.

The Written Ministerial Statement reads:

Tuesday, 15 June 2010
HOME OFFICE
Vetting and Barring Scheme

Secretary of State for the Home Department (Theresa May):
I am announcing today that the commencement of voluntary registration with the new Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which was due to begin on 26 July, will be brought to a halt as of today.

The Government has made clear its intention to bring the criminal records and Vetting and Barring regimes back to common sense levels. Until this remodelling has taken place, we have decided to maintain those aspects of the new Scheme which are already in place, but not to introduce further elements.

The safety of children and vulnerable adults is of paramount importance to the new government. We will therefore maintain the current arrangements under which the Independent Safeguarding Authority is able to bar from "regulated activities" those considered unsuitable to work with children or vulnerable adults, and appropriate cases must be referred to them. Criminal records checks will also remain available for those eligible to receive them, and will continue to be required for certain posts where regulations are already in place.

However it is vital that we take a measured approach in these matters. Vulnerable groups must be properly protected in a way that is proportionate and sensible. The remodelling of the VBS will ensure this happens.

The terms of reference for the remodelling of the VBS and of the criminal records regime are currently being considered and a further announcement will be made in due course.



Commenting on the decision, the Home Secretary, Theresa May said:

"The safety of children and vulnerable adults is of paramount importance to the new Government.

"However it is also vital that we take a measured approach in these matters. We've listened to the criticisms and will respond with a scheme that has been fundamentally remodelled.

"Vulnerable groups must be properly protected in a way that is proportionate and sensible. This redrawing of the vetting and barring scheme will ensure this happens."



Background to the Vetting & Barring Scheme (VBS)

The VBS was designed to protect children and vulnerable adults by preventing those who pose a known risk from gaining access to them through their work or volunteering. The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) now maintains two lists, one of those barred from working with children, the other of those barred from working with vulnerable adults.

Impact on Registration

Voluntary registration with the Scheme was due to start on 26 July and was being limited to new employees and job-movers working or volunteering with children or vulnerable adults.
However, as a consequence of this today's announcement, the introduction of the Scheme will be stopped to allow the Government to re-model it to common sense levels.

Further detailed information about the impact on the CRB application process is at the end of this newsletter.

Scope of the process

The process for remodelling the Vetting & Barring Scheme is currently being finalised. Further details will be announced shortly and we will provide you with this information as soon as it is available.

We recognise that this change in plans may impact on the preparations you have already undertaken, however it is essential that Ministers have the opportunity to consider the Scheme's impact and the role it should play.

What will the CRB/AccessNI be doing during the remodelling period?

During this process it will be business as usual for the CRB and AccessNI's Disclosure service. Although the Scheme has been stopped, changes introduced in October 2009 are still in place. Organisations that are engaging individuals to work in regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults should continue to use their existing safeguarding practices, including the use of enhanced CRB/AccessNI disclosures where these are required by law or regarded as appropriate by employers.

Continued Safeguarding

Whilst the Scheme is being remodelled existing safeguarding regulations remain in force and should be adhered to. The following changes came into effect from 12th October 2009.

it is now a criminal offence for barred individuals to apply to work with children or vulnerable adults in a wider range of posts than previously. Employers also face criminal sanctions for knowingly employing a barred individual across a wider range of work;
the previous barring lists have been replaced by two new barred lists administered by the ISA rather than several Government departments. Now, checks of these two lists can be made as part of an Enhanced CRB/AccessNI check;
additional jobs and voluntary positions are covered by the new regulations, including moderators of children's internet chat rooms and large numbers of NHS and justice sector staff;
employers, local authorities, professional regulators and inspection bodies are now under a duty to refer to the ISA any information about an individual where they consider them to have caused harm or pose a risk of harm to vulnerable groups, such as why they stopped, or considered stopping, an individual working with vulnerable groups.