The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) and the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS)

The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) and the Vetting and Baring Scheme (VBS) have been created to help prevent unsuitable people from working with children and vulnerable adults.

The ISA works in partnership with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and other delivery partners. 

ISA Vetting and Barring Scheme  

The scheme prevents unsuitable people from working or volunteering with children and vulnerable adults. 

The scheme covers all regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults. 

What is regulated activity?

Regulated activity is any activity which involves contact with children or vulnerable adults.

This could be paid or voluntary work.

Such activities include:

  • Any activity of a specified nature which involves contact with children or vulnerable adults frequently, intensively and/or overnight.
  • Any activity allowing contact with children or vulnerable adults that is in a specified place frequently or intensively.
  • Fostering and childcare.
  • Any activity that involves people in certain defined positions of responsibility.

How will it affect employees and volunteers?

  • All employees who work with children and/or vulnerable adults on regulated activity need to be registered with the ISA.
  • Once you have registered with the ISA, your registration is for life.  You will be given a personal ISA Registration Number and you will remain on the ISA database even if you change employers.
  • There is a fee to register if you are an employee (£64)
  • It is free of charge for volunteers.
  • If you have a record of unsuitability for working with vulnerable groups or if you have committed certain offences, the ISA may not be able to register you and you will be put on an ISA Barred List and may not be able to work with vulnerable people/children.  

How will it affect employers?

  • Employers will be required to check that their employees/volunteers who are working with children or vulnerable adults are registered with the ISA.
  • Employers will be able to subscribe to ISA updates on their employees/volunteers that inform them if that employee’s ISA status changes.
  • It will be a criminal offence for an employer to allow a barred person, or a person who is not yet registered with the ISA, to work for any length of time in any regulated activity.
  • It will be a criminal offence for an employer to take on a person in a regulated activity if they fail to check that person’s status.
  • Employers have a legal obligation to refer information to the ISA if they have had to remove an individual from a regulated activity, or if they think relevant conduct has occurred, a risk of harm is present or there has been a relevant caution or conviction. 

ISA and CRB

  • ISA DOES NOT REPLACE CRB CHECKS.
  • There will be one form for ISA registration and CRB checks.
  • Standard CRB checks are no longer available for posts which work with children or vulnerable adults on regulated activity. 

Timescales

From October 2009

  • Increased safeguards will be introduced, such as a wider definition of “Regulated activities”, further enhancing protection of children and vulnerable adults.
  • The three current barring lists (POCA, POVA and List 99) will be replaced by the creation of two new barred lists administered by the ISA rather than several government departments.
  • Checks of these new lists can be made as part of an Enhanced CRB check.
  • The eligibility criteria for Enhanced CRB checks will be extended to include anyone working in a regulated position.  

From July 2010

  • From July 2010 those who are new to the workforce, those who are changing roles to take on regulated activity and those changing jobs whilst working in regulated activity may apply for ISA registration.
  • Those who currently work with vulnerable groups but are staying in their current role will not have to become registered until later in the five year phasing period.
  • From July 2010, individuals can apply for ISA-registration and a CRB check (including an ISA check) on one new application form.
  • When a person becomes ISA-registered they will be continuously monitored and their status reassessed against any new information which may come to light.  

From November 2010

  • So as not to disrupt normal recruitment over the traditionally busy summer period, the legal requirement for employees to register with the VBS and employers to check their status will come into force in November 2010.  

From 2011

  • Existing employees and volunteers with no CRB check must apply for ISA registration.
  • Existing employees and volunteers with CRB checks will also need to apply for ISA registration, starting with staff whose CRB checks are the oldest.

For more information on the scheme and to find out how it will affect your organisation please click here to visit the ISA website.