Improved safeguarding arrangements go live

The new Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS), which extends across Northern Ireland, England and Wales was launched today.

A new Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) will be central to the VBS and AccessNI will be key to the delivery of the scheme in Northern Ireland when it is fully operational next year.

The new VBS was created following the Bichard Inquiry into the Soham murders, which recommended a number of key improvements to the system that bars unsuitable individuals from working with children or vulnerable adults. It introduces stricter controls, which will begin to replace existing arrangements for assessing suitability to work with children and vulnerable adults in Northern Ireland, England and Wales. Parallel arrangements are being put in place in Scotland.

The following increased safeguards will be introduced from today, further enhancing protection of children and vulnerable adults:

• It is now a criminal offence for barred individuals to apply to work with children or vulnerable adults in a wider range of posts. Employers also face criminal sanctions for employing a barred individual across a wider range of work;
• The three current barring lists will be replaced by the creation of two new barred lists administered by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) rather than several government departments. From now on checks of these two lists can be made as part of an Enhanced Disclosure check through AccessNI;
• Additional jobs and voluntary positions will be covered by the barring arrangements, including moderators of children's internet chat rooms, voluntary work in the faith sector and large numbers of staff working in the health and social care sectors, including primary care;
• Employers, employment businesses and agencies, social services and professional regulators have a duty to refer information to the ISA in circumstances where they stopped or considered stopping an individual from working with vulnerable groups on the grounds that they have caused harm or posed a risk of harm.

Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Michael McGimpsey, MLA , whose department is leading on implementing the VBS on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive, said: " The Vetting and Barring Scheme is at the heart of government strategy to strengthen safeguards for the most vulnerable members of Northern Ireland society.

"In recent times we have seen too many cases where those who are vulnerable, both children and adults, have not received the protection from abuse they deserve. The VBS being launched today is key to strengthening safeguards for children and vulnerable adults. It focuses on those who work with them, either through volunteering or paid employment. It benefits from the establishment of an Independent Safeguarding Authority and should offer parents, carers and the wider public the assurances they need and have the right to expect."

Paul Goggins MP, Minister of State at the NIO said: "I welcome these further developments in the safeguarding of the most vulnerable in Northern Ireland. AccessNI is ready to play its part in supporting the changes from 12 October by making sure that disclosure certificates are delivered promptly to both employers and applicants and then from 2010 when applications to register with the ISA will be made through AccessNI".

Commenting on VBS changes that will take effect next year, Wendy Osborne of the Volunteer Development Agency said, "In a number of ways the new Vetting and Barring Scheme provides a much more efficient system by, for example, drawing information together in one place and minimising the number of checks on an individual through an ongoing monitoring system".

The launch of the Vetting and Barring Scheme was also welcomed by Tony Rodgers, Chair of the Southern Area Child Protection Committee (ACPC). Referring to a recent survey commissioned by the four ACPCs and NSPCC, Mr Rodgers said: "The ACPC survey demonstrates that there is overwhelming support from parents for vetting of volunteers, alongside other protection measures, including training and codes of behaviour. I am confident that the new Vetting and Barring Scheme, which is intended to offer greater protections for children and vulnerable adults, will be welcomed by parents who entrust their children into the care of others, whether that is in school, at the swimming pool or the boy scouts".

Notes to Editors:

1. The UK already has one of the most advanced systems in the world for carrying out checks on all those who work in positions of trust with children and vulnerable adults.

2. In Northern Ireland, the new VBS will be delivered under the Safeguarding and Vulnerable Groups (NI) Order 2007, which was passed by Parliament following the Bichard Inquiry.

3. In March this year, the ISA took over responsibility for the decisions on new cases referred under existing legislation from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Department of Education.

4. The VBS is intended to work alongside and support robust recruitment and selection processes, including the taking up of references, checking career/volunteering history and following-up any obvious gaps in an employee's career history.

5. Further milestones in the new Scheme follow later. In particular:

• July 2010 - new entrants to work with vulnerable groups can start to register with the ISA;
• November 2010 - new entrants must register with the ISA before starting work with vulnerable groups; and
• April 2011 - existing workers can start to ISA-register.

6. Further information can be found on the ISA website, including guidance from the ISA for employers on how to fulfil their new duty to refer an employee who causes harm or poses a risk of harm.

7. Press enquiries to DHSSPS press office on 028 90520579. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.