Vetting scheme due to be outlined

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/8411399.stm

Version 0 of 1.

The details of a revised vetting scheme for people working with children are due to be published shortly.

The new rules are likely to apply to nine million adults, two million fewer than first planned.

Sir Roger Singleton, head of the Independent Safeguarding Authority, said police and employer records would be taken into account during vetting.

"Soft intelligence", which is held on police databases but has not led to any action, will also be considered.

The new Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) had called for about 11 million people working with children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, to undergo criminal record checks.

But now it will involve only those working with the same children once a week, not once a month, for example.

However, the BBC's home editor Mark Easton said the new scheme would still lead to 40,000 people being barred by 2015 - twice as many as today.

'Stupidity'

Sir Roger told the BBC: "What I've done is looked very carefully at the evidence we've got about the circumstances in which adults abuse children with whom they have a responsibility and a position of trust.

"I felt that the number of cases that would fall within this sort of category was so small that it was justifiable to actually make the reduction."

REGISTRATION FACTS People who have regular, frequent or intensive access to children have to register with the ISAIt costs £64 to register, but volunteers have their fees waivedThe ISA is being phased in across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.Individuals will be able to apply to register from July 2010. It will be mandatory from Novemeber 2010 The scheme covers England, Wales and Northern IrelandA separate but aligned scheme is to be introduced in Scotland

He said that in future the ISA would investigate carefully anyone about whom questions were raised.

"The bar will be set at the likelihood that this individual will actually, in the future, abuse children," he said.

Sir Roger agreed there was a "danger" of malicious allegations being made against someone, but said: "You guard against it by making sure that the basis for barring is strictly on the evidence that is available and it is not on the basis of mischievous... or just allegation or gossip."

He did say, however, that although it was "a contentious issue", police "soft intelligence" - which lies on file but has not led to any judicial action - would be taken into account.

Employers, such as the General Medical Council, will also be required to report to the ISA any behaviour by one of their members which has led to some sort of disciplinary action.

Asked whether a person's neighbours would be asked to give opinions about their behaviour, he said "goodness me, no".

A review by the ISA was ordered after there was an outcry that volunteers were being deterred from working with children because of the VBS requirements.

The eventual relaxation of the rules was welcomed by the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Dr John Dunford, as a "victory for common sense".

Asked whether there had been "stupidity" surrounding the way vetting rules were applied, Sir Roger said: "The decisions were made by Parliament so if there was stupidity that's where it rests."