Review of vetting and barring scheme to be announced

The government will announce its review of the vetting and barring scheme tomorrow, Community Care has learned. The voluntary registration aspect of the scheme, due to start at the end of July, will be postponed until after the review has been completed.

It follows a committment from the coalition government to scale back the scheme to “commonsense levels” in its policy document after taking office.

The scheme was introduced, via the set up of the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), following the conviction of Ian Huntley of the murder of two Soham schoolgirls, Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells, while he was a caretaker at their school.

It was launched in October last year with registration due to start on 26 July this year. The scheme was supposed to ensure that both paid employees and volunteers working with children would be subject to the same implications, restrictions and obligations, although volunteers would not have to pay to register with the ISA.