Thu, Mar, 19 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.
Increased safeguards will come into effect
from 12 October. Around five million more jobs and voluntary
positions – including most National Health Service (NHS) jobs -
will be covered by the barring arrangements, meaning that
safeguarding protection is extended to many more vulnerable
people.
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 ‘regulated
activities’ – people included in the new barred lists by the
ISA will be barred from a much wider range of jobs and activities
than has been the case under previous arrangements. This is
particularly so 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; and
- new criminal offences – it will
become a crime for a barred individual to seek or undertake work
with vulnerable groups; and for employers knowingly to take them
on.
From July 2010 all new entrants to roles
working with vulnerable groups and those switching jobs to a new
provider within these sectors will be able to register with the VBS
and be assessed by the ISA. Employers will be able to check
registration status online and will be able to subscribe to be
notified if an employee’s registration status changes.
So as not to disrupt normal recruitment over
the traditionally busy summer period, the legal requirement for all
new employees and those moving jobs, to register with the VBS and
for employers to check their status will come into force in
November 2010. All existing members of the workforce will be phased
into the Scheme by 2015.
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.”http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk
The Press Release can be found
here:http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk
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