New scheme to protect children from risk posing adults halted

The new Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) being introduced by Labour has been halted, just one of the victims in a long line of tinkering, tampering and scheme ending by the new coalition government.

The new scheme was designed in response to the Bichard Inquiry into the Soham murders, which called for better information sharing by the police and vetting organisations.

The VBS was aiming to protect children and vulnerable adults by stopping people who were a known risk from working with them.

The Government announced today that the scheme will be halted for remodelling back to ‘common sense levels’.

The voluntary registration scheme for people working or volunteering with children had been due to start next month, but registration has now been stopped.

Home Secretary Theresa May said:  “The safety of children and vulnerable adults is of paramount importance to the new Government.
 
“However it is also vital that we take a measured approach in these matters. We’ve listened to the criticisms and will respond with a scheme that has been fundamentally remodelled.”

Children’s Minister Tim Loughton said that ‘well-meaning adults’ and individuals should be ‘welcomed, encouraged and helped as much as possible’ to work with children.

He said: “At the moment we think the pendulum has swung too far.
 
“We shouldn’t be driving a wedge between children and well-meaning adults including people coming forward to volunteer with young people.”

The latest information on the VBS can be found at www.direct.gov.uk/vetting