Vetting and barring put on hold again
The launch date of the Government's vetting and barring scheme has been put back from October this year to July 2010.
It is the second delay for the scheme, which is being brought in to allow more rigorous checking of those working with children and vulnerable adults. It was originally due to start last October.
The Home Office said last week that registrations to the scheme will be gradually phased in, starting with new recruits and people changing jobs.
From October the three current barring lists will be split, into one for those working with children and another for those working with vulnerable adults.
They will be held by the Independent Safeguarding Authority, which will deal with all referrals and decide who should be put on the barred lists.
A wider range of jobs, including most NHS jobs, will have to be registered. The Government estimates that 11.3 million people will need to be checked.
From July 2010, employers will be informed of any new criminal offences which could put children or vulnerable adults at risk. Previously, unless an employee changed jobs and had to have a new Criminal Records Bureau check, new offences would not be picked up.
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation expressed concern that the new scheme could create delays for agencies placing temporary workers who would be unable to work while their applications are processed.
The chair of REC's childcare sector, Judith Ivers of North London Nannies, said, 'At the moment you can place people by running a quick check against List 99, PoCA and PoVA before you carry out the full CRB enhanced disclosure. CRB checks can take months. There is no guarantee that these quick checks will still be available after 12 October. If we don't have full checks we can't satisfy our clients.'
