Briefing: Crib sheet - Vetting school staff

Why is there new guidance on vetting education staff? It's interimguidance and it's out for consultation. When school caretaker IanHuntley was convicted of murdering two 10-year-old girls in Soham in2003, the Government set up a public inquiry to ascertain what wentwrong. How had someone with such a suspect sexual history been judgedsuitable to work with children? The Bichard Inquiry, published in June2004, made a number of recommendations to which the Government has, inthe opinion of many, responded too slowly, though it has published threeprogress reports, the latest in May 2006.

And what progress has it made? In terms of vetting and recruitment, ithas issued new cross-government guidance on Working Together toSafeguard Children; tightened up requirements for practitioners torecord decisions made about individual applicants; made training onsafeguarding available to head teachers and school governors; and begunto change the law through the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill. Butthere is a need for action because, according to an evaluation ofprocedures to check staff appointed by schools published by Ofsted inJune, practice is poor.