Despite what you may have read or heard in the media, the vetting and barring (VBS) scheme has not been scrapped – some aspects of it have been put on hold while it is reviewed.
The VBS was set up to help prevent unsuitable people from working with children and vulnerable adults.
The new Government has decided to “review the criminal records and vetting and barring regime and scale it back to common sense levels”. Compulsory registration with the Independent Safeguarding Authority is not, at least for the moment, going ahead in November. All registrations – both voluntary from 26 July and compulsory from November – are on hold.
The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) newsletter of 15 June 2010, available by registering for newsletters on the ISA's website at www.isa.homeoffice.gov.uk, explains how to apply for CRB checks during the review period. Up to date information about CRB checks is available from the CRB at www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk. The VBS contact centre is at 0300 123 1111 and the CRB customer services centre at 0870 9090 811.
Much of the vetting and barring scheme is still in place including:
• CRB checks. All CRB checks for work with children or vulnerable adults are enhanced. Standard CRB checks are no longer available for work with children or vulnerable adults, but remain available where checks are required for other types of work or licences;
• Where a criminal record check is required for certain types of work with children or vulnerable adults, for example under the Care Standards Act 2000, it continues to be required;
• It is an offence for a barred individual to seek or undertake a regulated activity, whether paid or unpaid, with children or vulnerable adults, or for an employer or organisation knowingly to allow a barred person to engage in a regulated activity, or to engage in a controlled activity without adequate supervision.
More information is on the ISA website and a summary of the guidance from the ISA can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/DCAISAguidance