News

School visit registration scheme should be reconsidered

1 min read Education Social Care
Measures to safeguard children from paedophiles will lead to some people being entered onto a vetting database unnecessarily, it has been claimed.

Sir Michael Bichard, whose inquiry into the Soham murders resulted in new child protection procedures, said he has concerns over the Vetting and Barring Scheme, which will become compulsory from November 2010.

Speaking to The Independent, he said proposals that actors, authors or entertainers who only occasionally visit a school, should register with the scheme should be reconsidered.

"If you visit one school in January, and then don't visit that school again, but visit another school in February and another in March, is that frequent or intensive?

"I think that's something which might merit reconsideration," he said.

"Based on the discussions and conversations I've had, clearly there is an issue."

The issue was previously raised last month by a group of children's authors, including Philip Pullman, Michael Morpurgo and Anthony Horowitz, who claimed they will stop visiting schools from the start of the next academic year if they are made subject to checks.

The Home Office has said that the regulations had to be rigorous and the rules do not discriminate on the grounds of an individual's job.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here

Posted under:


More like this