Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, School and Families has announced that the recommendations of Sir Roger Singleton on changes to the implementation of the new Vetting and Barring Scheme (‘VBS’) would be accepted in full.
Sir Roger’s report was commissioned following press coverage of concerns raised by some parents over private arrangements and by a group of children’s writers of the possible impact of the scheme which received considerable coverage in the press. Particular concerns were how the scheme would affect private arrangements between parents, such as lift sharing, and whether it was necessary where contact with children is frequent but not involving the same group on each occasion. A summary of the comments and recommendations of the report is as follows:
- It is confirmed that the scheme would not and was never intended to affect mutually agreed and responsible arrangements made between parents and friends. This means that, for example, sharing lifts, babysitting and engaging private tuition will not come within the scheme.
- However, where the decision about who should provide services for or work with children is made by an organisation such as a school, or club, the requirement to register will apply, subject to the frequent or intensive contact provisions. So, for example, a formal lift sharing arrangement organised by a club would come within the scheme.
- The frequent contact test will be met if it is once a week or more, instead of once a month as previously proposed. The intensive contact test will be met if contact is four days or more in any month, instead of three, or overnight.
- Individuals who go into schools or similar settings to work with different groups of children will only have to register if their contact with the same children is frequent or intensive
- The minimum age for registration for young people who engage in regulated activity as part of their continuing education will be reviewed. Over 16s who engage in regulated activities in another context (such as volunteering) will still require registration subject to the frequency/intensity test
- Overseas visitors bringing their own group of children to the UK, for example to international camps, will be exempted from the requirement to register for up to three months
- Exchange visits lasting less than 28 days, where overseas parents accept the responsibility for the selection of the host family, will be regarded as private arrangements and hence not require registration. The option for a school to ask for registration will still be available, however
- The Government will consider the position of some self employed health care practitioners- such as chiropodists or homeopathists - whose professional bodies do not require them to register as to an appropriate means of requiring them to do so
- The Government will review whether the inclusion of controlled activity is still a necessary part of the scheme. This would lead to considerable simplification and remove approximately 500,000 from its scope
- The Government will review the statutory requirements and its advice concerning the continuing need for CRB disclosures in addition to registration, once the VBS is in place.
The immediate effect of these recommendations is to reduce the likely number of persons to whom the VBS will apply from approximately 11 million to 9 to 9.5 million. Other effects will become clearer as the further government reviews take place.
Sir Roger’s final comment was that there is urgent need for the Government to renew its efforts to communicate the details of the scheme and the benefits it will bring to safeguarding the vulnerable.
Present implementation dates remain the same – i.e. applications to register will be possible from July 2010 and to be mandatory for new employees and volunteers from November 2010.