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Child Protection

Answer

The Department's guidance ““Child Protection: Preventing Unsuitable People from Working with Children and Young Persons in the Education Service”” issued in June 2005 provides current advice for employers in the education service on preventing unsuitable people from working with children and young persons.We have made it clear that CRB checks are strongly recommended as part of the appointment process for anybody who will be working in a school, further education institution or LEA service and that checks on supply teachers should be made when they are recruited from an employment business or supply agency.It is a criminal offence for a person who is disqualified from working with children under the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 to apply for, offer to do, accept, or do any work with children in a regulated position, as defined in the Act. That work includes any position in which the normal duties include caring for training, supervising or being in sole charge of children, as well as work in any position involving unsupervised contact with children under arrangements made by a responsible person.The Secretary of State's statement on 19 January covered the wider safeguarding agenda, as well as focusing on specific settings.Of the immediate policy changes announced in the statement, work is in hand to make on-appointment CRB checks compulsory for all new appointments to the schools work force. This will have a direct read-across to staff provided by supply agencies and we are also looking at other options for further tightening vetting procedures for these staff.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

47284; 443 c514W;443 c513W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Children Protection Vetting Teachers Supply teachers

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk