New vetting powers and confidentiality of sex offenders register
- From: Brave New Britain <me@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 11:10:28 +0000
Under the proposals described in the below news article what's to stop
anyone posing as a parent about to engage a nanny or tutor using the
'online database' to check up on anyone they like, such as neighbours,
employers, people in the news etc?
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ONLINE DATABASE 'WILL LIST SEX OFFENDERS'
The Independent, UK: 1 March 2006
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article348469.ece
Parents will be able to check the records of nannies and home tutors
under plans today aimed at closing the loopholes that let sex
offenders work with children.
Employers - including parents - will have access to a new online
database containing the names of adults who are convicted or cautioned
for sex offences.
Education Secretary Ruth Kelly will later today publish a new Bill
tightening the system for vetting teachers and barring unsuitable
adults from working in schools.
She came under intense pressure earlier this year after it emerged
that ministers had cleared a string of people on the sex offenders
register to work as teachers.
A Government source said the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill will:
* Strip ministers of their powers to decide whether to bar adults from
working in schools and hand responsibility to a new independent panel;
* Create a new central vetting system, bringing relevant information
together in one place for the first time
* Ban anyone convicted or cautioned for sex offences from working in
schools or other education settings;
* Require all schools, supply teacher agencies and other agencies to
perform criminal records checks on all new teachers.
The Government source said the system for vetting teachers needed
"fundamental reform" to make sure child safety was always the most
important principle.
"The system will allow parents and families to check the barred status
of those they employ for the first time," the source said.
"This would include carers, music teachers, nannies and home tutors."
The Bill follows the row which engulfed Ms Kelly in January.
Last year, her Department had cleared Paul Reeve to work as a PE
teacher in a Norfolk school even though he was cautioned for accessing
banned images of children on the internet and placed on the sex
offenders register.
She later confirmed that 88 sex offenders had not been barred from
working in schools, while more had only received partial bans.
The Tories and parents groups demanded that the minister apologise and
suggested she should consider her position.
Ms Kelly promised to close the loopholes in a dramatic Commons
statement that many commentators believe saved her Cabinet career.
She said at the time: "I deeply regret the worry and concern that has
been caused to parents over the last few days.
"I'm determined to do all I can to ease their concerns."
The measures outlined in the Bill will come into force next year.
In the meantime, ministers are being advised by an expert panel over
all other cases where they have to decide whether or not to stop
individuals working in schools.
.
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