Welcome
The Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) is at the heart of the Government's strategy to increase the protection of vulnerable members of our society. The Scheme will help prevent harm from happening to children and vulnerable adults by helping to stop those who are deemed ‘unsuitable to work with children and vulnerable adults’ from working or volunteering with them.
Increased safeguards were introduced on 12 October 2009 when the scope of Regulated Activity was widened and an additional five million more jobs and voluntary positions – including most National Health Service (NHS) jobs - were covered by these new barring arrangements. The three previous barring lists (POCA, POVA and List 99 [and equivalent NI lists]) were replaced by the two new ISA-barred lists.
Anyone wanting to work or volunteer regularly with children or vulnerable adults will be required to register with a new public body called the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). Employers will also be legally required to check that new employees are ISA-registered. When a person becomes ISA-registered they will be continuously checked and their status reassessed against any new information which may come to light. Employers can register an interest in an individual’s ISA-registration status to be proactively informed of changes in an employee’s registration status.
The VBS is part of a much bigger framework covering the use of information to support public protection. Improved information sharing across government, police forces, education and health organisations and across international boundaries is vital.
This series of Roadshows are free to attend for those responsible for implementing the Scheme in Education, Health, Social Care, Sport, Justice, Faith and the Voluntary Sector. While it includes an update on the implications of Sir Roger Singleton’s review, and on the practical implementation aspects of the Scheme, this series is targeted to those that have not been to a briefing event before. We also reserve the right to restrict attendance to two individuals per organisation. Please check the dates and locations of the series here.