October 9, 2009: New Vetting Scheme

Children and vulnerable adults will now be better protected under the new vetting and barring scheme (VBS). The scheme is one of the government's key responses to the Bichard inquiry, which followed the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman by Ian Huntley. The inquiry recommended a new scheme that would make sure everyone who works with children and vulnerable adults is checked and registered.

It will be implemented by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), organisations which are sponsored by the Home Office.

Some of the key changes under the scheme include:

• it is now a criminal offence for individuals barred by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) to work or apply to work with children or vulnerable adults in a wide range of posts
• employers face criminal sanctions for knowingly employing someone who has been barred
• new jobs and voluntary positions will be covered by the scheme, including moderators of children’s internet chat rooms and a large number of NHS and prison service staff
• employers, local authorities, professional regulators and other bodies have a duty to give the ISA any information about why they stopped people working with children or vulnerable adults where they consider them to have caused harm or pose a risk of harm.

The scheme has also reduced the number of barred lists from three to two. In place of three separate barred lists, the ISA will manage one list for children and one for vulnerable adults. From now on, checks of these two lists can be made as part of an enhanced CRB check.

Home Office Minister David Hanson said that the scheme was a ‘common sense approach.’ He said:

'The new scheme means greater assurance that anyone who regularly works or volunteers with children or vulnerable adults will be appropriate to do so. We believe this is a common sense approach, and what the public would rightly expect