Vetting and Barring Scheme Update

Date: 17-06-2008

Consultation on offences which will lead to a person being automatically barred

A twelve-week consultation begins today (22nd June) on the processes for barring people who are unsuitable to work with children and vulnerable adults, under the new arrangements to exclude unsuitable people from the workforce. It will run until 14th September.

In May, Sir Roger Singleton was appointed chair of the Independent Safeguarding Authority, as reported in our May e-mail update. Sir Roger has welcomed this consulation, called it "an important step in putting in place the details of the new scheme".

The main points on which the consultation seeks views are:

• the list of offences which would result in being automatically barred from working with children and vulnerable people;
• In cases where someone is permitted to make representations about whether they should be barred, the period of time in which those individuals are allowed to make those representations to the Independent Safeguarding Authority about their case;
• how long adults and young people who are barred should have to wait before they can ask for their bar to be reviews - the 'minimum no-review period';
• whether this 'minimum no-review period' should be the same length for both adults and young people and whether the age boundary for a younger person - which determines how long they have to wait before they can apply for a review - should be 18 or 25.

Please note that as part of the consultation the Board intend to include the equivalent automatic barring offences for Northern Ireland. The relevant lists will be produced as an addendum to the consultation shortly.

Visit http://dfes.gov.uk/consultations/conDetails.cfm?consultationId=1476 to read the full document and repond to the consultation.

A new name - the Independent Safeguarding Authority

Up to now the new scheme has been referred to as the Vetting and Barring Scheme, and referring to the organisation which will decide whether a person can be a member of the scheme as the Independent Barring Board.

The two names will be replaced by the one new name - the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

Sir Roger explains the reason for the change of name:

Independent emphasises the detachment of the new organisation from ministerial decision making and that the Independent Safeguarding Authority itself will take all barring decisions. Safeguarding reflects the positive effects of barring and states what the agency intends to achieve. Authority adds weight to the organisation's role, reflecting that it is a formal statutory body whose information requirements need to be responded to and whose decisions are significant".

This new identity will start to appear in our communications, on our website, at our events and so on from now on.