Vetting & Barring Scheme latest
 

Review of Vetting and Barring Scheme

In February 2011 the Government published the findings of its Review into the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS). You can read the report at http://tinyurl.com/63hf5oz

Key recommendations from the VBS Review include:

• the merging of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) to form a streamlined new body providing a proportionate barring and criminal records checking service;
• a reduction of the number of positions requiring checks to just those working most closely and regularly with children and vulnerable adults;
• portability of criminal records checks between jobs to cut down on needless bureaucracy;
• an end to a requirement for those working or volunteering with vulnerable groups to register with the VBS; and
• stopping employers who knowingly request criminal records checks on individuals who are not entitled to them.

Until all the appropriate legislation has been introduced and the new arrangements are established, the existing responsibilities of employers and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) will remain:

• if your organisation works with children or vulnerable adults and you dismiss or remove a member of staff or a volunteer because they have harmed a child or vulnerable adult (or there is a risk of harm), or you would have done so if they had not left, you must tell the Independent Safeguarding Authority;
• a person who is barred by the ISA from working with children or vulnerable adults will be breaking the law if they work or volunteer, or try to work or volunteer with those groups;
• an organisation which knowingly employs someone who is barred to work with those groups will also be breaking the law. 

Protection of Freedoms Bill

Under the Protection of Freedoms Bill the vetting and barring arrangements would have no longer applied to those working with only 16 and 17-year-olds.

The government has now added an amendment to the Bill to keep the cut off age at 18.

Click here for further details. 
 

• protecting children from maltreatment;

• preventing impairment of children’s health or development;

• ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care;

and undertaking that role so as to enable those children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully.

Safeguarding training - visit our training page for details 

Safeguarding - Resources

The Safe Network (the national voluntary and community sector safeguarding unit)

The Safe Network is a partnership between the NSPCC and Children England and works with community and voluntary organisations to help keep children safe.  It helps ensure that the work these groups do with children is:

• as safe as possible
• enjoyable and rewarding for all involved
• compliant with legislation

The Safe Network will be launching its safeguarding standards and self-assessment tool at its national conference in London on 18 November 2010.  It has a number of other resources available,  including:

• the Are They Safe? pack
• Keeping Our Children Safe: Raising awareness in BME communities
• modular training on keeping children safe, and community training events
• frontline support via regional development managers
• specific thematic resources produced by a network of national delivery partners
• the Safe Network enquiry service and website 
 

Children England - why sheets

These factsheets include the following topics:
- Why the Vetting & Barring Scheme?
- Why Safeguarding
- Why Children's Trusts
 

NSPCC - safeguarding toolkit

The NSPCC has published a toolkit to help ensure that all children and young people engaged in Sport Unlimited activities are effectively safeguarded. The toolkit provides background information on safeguarding and introduces the mandatory safeguarding standards, in addition to examples of child protection policies, procedures and good practice guidance. The toolkit is continually updated to respond to the needs of users, who are encouraged to submit examples of best practice.  

Policies and procedures

Model Safeguarding Policy, Procedure & Guidance For Private, Independent, Voluntary, Community and Faith Organisations

This policy, procedure & guidance is approved by the member agencies of Hampshire Local Safeguarding Children Board. It is designed to complement and provide a context for the more detailed Child Protection Procedures and does not replace them.

4 LSCB CDOP 

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010
A Practitioner's Guide - Key Changes

Hampshire Safeguarding Children Board have summarised key changes from Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010 for practitioners working with children and families. As these statutory changes became effective from 1 April 2010 this document is designed to help you get the information you need quickly and easily. It should not be considered inclusive of all changes.  
 

Information Sharing & Confidentiality Policy 

Earlier this year, Hampshire Children’s Trust Board approved the Information Sharing and Confidentiality Policy, giving guidance to staff working with children in multiagency situations. The Policy has been updated to include the national guidance from the Government and replaces the draft Information Sharing and Confidentiality Policy published in June 2008.

To raise awareness of the updated Children’s Trust policy, partners are being sent copies of the booklet for display in staff rooms and other common areas.  If you would like a copy, contact Ian Milsom ian.milsom@action.hants.org.uk 01962 857367.  However, it is expected that most children and young people's voluntary organisations will view or download the Policy.  

Inter-Agency Referral Form (IARF)

Any referral to Hampshire Children’s Services Social Care should now be made by sending the Inter-Agency Referral Form.