Senior figures in the sector spoke out after it emerged that a manarrested in a child pornography inquiry was given a job as a PE teacherat a Norfolk school. The man was on the sex offenders' register butgovernment officials decided not to place him on list 99, which is forthose barred from working in schools.
Ministers are currently consulting on a new vetting and barring schemethat will effectively merge the sex offenders' register with list99.
Under the new system, decisions about who is suitable to work withchildren will be made by a central barring unit.
But Andrew Webb, director of children's service at Stockport Council'said it was now clear that the new scheme would only work if frontlineprofessionals were consulted. He said: "If the system allows someone tomake a decision without regard to the recommendations of localprofessionals then it would be flawed."
Natalie Cronin, head of policy at the NSPCC, also urged the Governmentto think carefully about the composition of the central barringunit.
She said: "It is not clear whether civil servants have the degree ofknowledge necessary to make such a decision."
