UPDATE DETAILS

The Independent Safeguarding Authority

The Independent Safeguarding Authority has been established with the aim of preventing unsuitable people from working with vulnerable adults and children by requiring those who meet certain thresholds of time spent working with vulnerable people to register with the ISA under the vetting and barring scheme. Due to some misconceptions about the scheme, in particular about the degree of contact with children that will trigger the requirement to register with the ISA, Sir Roger Singleton, chair of the ISA was tasked with recommending where adjustments should be made to the current provisions.

His report, published on Every Child Matters website and available here sets out two fundamental guidelines; that where parents exercise their own judgment about who should care for their children that is entirely a private matter in which the scheme should not interfere; and that the requirements to register should go no further than is necessary for the safety and protection of children. The Government has endorsed these guidelines and all other recommendations in Sir Roger Singleton’s report. The recommended changes are expected to result in the number of people required to register under the scheme dropping from 11 million to approximately 9 million. The ‘frequent contact’ test will change from contact once a month to contact once a week, and the ‘intensive contact’ test will change to 4 days contact in one month or overnight, rather than 3.

Click here  for further information on the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

For further information, please contact:
DAVID MEARS on 020 8394 6484, David.Mears@russell-cooke.co.uk or SAMANTHA PRITCHARD on 020 8394 6478, Samantha.Pritchard@russell-cooke.co.uk