INDEPENDENT SAFEGUARDING AUTHORITY
http://www.isa-gov.org.uk
VETTING AND BARRING

The new duty
Organisation such as Churches, Circuits and other bodies in the Methodist Church now have a statutory duty to refer information to ISA where there is a serious safeguarding offence – seek advice from the Safeguarding Group or District Safeguarding Coordinator first.

Regulated activities
Any one providing a regulated activity must be registered with the ISA This means any activity of a specified nature that involves contact with children or vulnerable adults frequently, intensively and/or overnight. (Such activities include teaching, training, care, supervision, advice, treatment and transportation.) Any activity allowing contact with children or vulnerable adults that is in a specified place frequently or intensively. (Such places include schools and care homes.) Any activity that involves people in certain defined positions of responsibility. (Such positions include school governor, director of social services and trustee of certain charities.) Registration for volunteers will be phased in over the next 5 years.

Recent changes
Where parents exercise their own judgement about who should care for their children that is entirely a private matter in which the scheme should not interfere. But where parents give that choice to an organisation, such as a school, club or group and cease to be able to make a personal choice about which adult provides the care or teaching etc, then registration should be required, subject to how often the contact takes place between the adults and children.

The definition of ‘frequency’ within the scheme has changed from once a month or more to once a week or more

The term ‘intensive’ has changed from three or more days in a 30 day period, or overnight, to four or more days in a 30 day period, or overnight. This covers the circumstances where there is contact over a short space of time which is not necessarily repeated.

The requirement to register with the scheme, has been removed, if regulated activity is carried out frequently in different settings (such as schools) rather than taking place frequently in a single setting.

The minimum age at which young people should be required to register has been raised from 16 to 18, where the regulated activity in which they are engaged is organised as part of their studies – for example a community service programme involving volunteering work with children and vulnerable adults

There are more details on their web site.

Helen Richardson (District Safeguarding Coordinator) 13th Jan 2010