Unchecked school staff still working

Schools are continuing to allow new staff to begin work before they
have been vetted by the Criminal Records Bureau.

More than 18 months after the Department for Education and Skills
withdrew guidance stating that all new members of staff had to be
checked before starting work because of long delays caused by the
bureau unchecked workers are still working in schools.

A spokesperson for the DfES confirmed that a letter sent to schools
in September 2002 saying that new staff could begin working even if
bureau checks had not been completed was still in force.

David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of
Headteachers, told Community Care the number of new people
who were in schools without being checked was “coming down all the
time”.

But he added there was still an “unnatural distinction” between the
checks carried out on teachers and support staff such as
caretakers.

The latter are required to have only a standard check instead of an
enhanced check, which involves greater depth and detail.