Ed Balls has announced that the Government will be accepting all of the recommendations from Sir Roger Singleton's review of the new Vetting and Barring Scheme.
As requested by Ed Balls MP in September 2009, Sir Roger Singleton has produced a report to review the criteria set out in the Vetting and Barring Scheme.
The 'Drawing the Line' (PDF) report, published on 14 December 2009 includes a number of recommendations all of which have been accepted by the Government.
Private arrangements between parents and friends will continue to remain outside the scheme and the defination of frequent and intensive contact has been looked at.
Also from the report:
- Where organisations such as schools, clubs or groups make the decisions as to which adults should work with their children then the requirement to register will apply, subject to the frequent and intensive contact provisions.
- The definition of intensive contact with children should now apply to regulated activity that takes place on four days in one month or more or overnight, as opposed to three days a month.
- Individuals who go into different schools or similar settings to work with different groups of children should not be required to register unless their contact with the same children is frequent or intensive.
- The minimum age of registration for young people who engage in regulated activity as part of their continuing education should be reviewed. The Government will make immediate changes to the rules so that 16, 17 and 18-year-olds in education will not be required to register.
- The definition of frequent contact with children should now apply to regulated activity that takes place once a week or more, as opposed to once a month or more.
Further information:
Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) press release 14 December 2009
'Drawing the Line' - A report on the Government's Vetting and Barring Scheme (PDF)