HOME Affairs are looking into whether the Island should adopt a vetting and barring scheme for anyone working with children or vulnerable adults.
Although teachers, youth workers and other professionals are already police checked, a new vetting scheme could mean parents can check the histories of music teachers, sports coaches and others working with young people.
Such a scheme is being introduced in the UK in November next year in line with the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups Act, which came into force in the UK last month.
Under that law, people working with children or vulnerable adults have to be registered under a vetting and barring scheme. The system will be overseen by a new Independent Safeguarding Authority, who will work closely with the Criminal Records Bureau.
Article posted on 28th November, 2009 - 2.57pm
10 Article Comments
When you look at the number of UK teaching staff prosecuted for sexual affairs with students, there doesn’t seem much point in changing things.
Besides which how far do you go in order to become totally P.C.???
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This vetting policy is a problematic policy. Where will it end?
Why not bite the bullet and do as we did of old; name and shame the guilty few?
The rehabilitation of offenders would go and for better or worse we will be back to Victorian standards of justice. Not nice, but probably better than society preferring to see the innocent majority as potential offenders.
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I believe this is the law that is now requiring everyone but immediate family to be CRB checked in the UK.
Asking your neighbour to babysit as a favour is now out of the question and sleepovers will be the next to go.
At the end of the day, If a parent does not trust the music teacher, babysitter etc with their child, they wouldn’t leave them in their care. That is their judgment call to make.
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This is an appalling policy – it assumes every adult is a pervert unless they can prove otherwise. As I understand it under the proposed U.K. legislation if I picked up my grandchild’s friend from school more than a couple of times a month I would have to be vetted. HELP!
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Hilary, with respect, your understanding is wrong albeit the media would have you believe otherwise. The law in England has nothing to do with you picking up your grandchild’s friends – that is a personal arrangement and is not subject to the law. Unfortunately the facts of the law are rather more mundane than the often excitable and incorrect histrionics from certain elements of the media and ill informed commentators.
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Perhaps they should get the Sex Offender Register off the ground and right before they start adding other things into the mix.
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All those wishing to work with children in the UK are required to undergo an “Enhanced” CRB Disclosure. This is different to a regular CRB check in that it does not just confine itself to information about any previous crimes committed but also allows for “soft” intelligence to be included when making a recruitment decision.
This can be information such as an arrest being made with lawful cause but can also include rumours and speculation. The upshot of this is that an unfounded allegation of improper conduct against an adult by a teenager for example, even if there is no evidence for the same means the ruination of the career prospects for that person.
I might sympathise with the stated aims of the Home Office in protecting children but not at the expense of making innocent people suffer. Obviously if there is any evidence that a person poses a risk to children that must be disclosed but as for any other type of crime, if there is nothing more than speculation then this should not be included. NJ.
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Please no. The CRB/Vetting and Barring stuff in the UK is a shambles; it’s hugely intrusive; it stops people from voluntary activity; it doesn’t stop bad apples getting through; it pours huge amounts of taxpayers money into the pockets of private sector companies. Oh, and it effectively screens the real issue, which is that the overwhelming majority of child abuse, physical or sexual, takes place in a place that the government doesn’t (yet) dare to go – the home environment. After HdlG, implementing a UK-style vetting scheme (which I strongly suspect would really mean implementing the UK scheme) would, I believe, be a green light to the continuing abuse of children in the home, out of sight and out of mind.
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I must agree with Mac (comment no. 8); the CRB system – in London, at least – is a mess.
About a year ago, I retired from my (salaried) position at a London hospice. Three months later, I decided to offer my services to that institution as a volunteer.
Although the hospice has enthusiastically accepted my offer, both parties are now stymied by the CRB enquiry that will not be completed before February, at least.
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No thanks under the proposed U.K. legislation if I picked up my child’s friend from school more than a couple of times a month I would have to be vetted.
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