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NSPCC statement about vetting and barring

Press Releases: 13th September 2009

The NSPCC issued the following statement on Sunday, 13 September 2009 in response to media articles which did not adequately explain the Society’s views on the new Vetting and Barring Scheme being introduced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. “The NSPCC supports the introduction of new vetting and barring procedures and we recognise the government’s commitment to enhancing the safety of our children.

All parents want their children to be safe when in the care of another body such as a school or a voluntary group. The new scheme introduced by the government can provide useful checks that no-one working or volunteering with the group is an offender.

It is reported that 11 million people volunteer and work with children and we need to be sure that the introduction of this scheme will not lead to the withering of this wonderful resource. However, child sex offenders and other abusers are cunning, manipulative and often deceptively charming. They throw out a smokescreen of lies and deceit to cover up their abuse and they can target child-facing organisations to gain easier access to children.

The current system of criminal record checks is inadequate and can only ever catch those who have already offended. Such checks only provide information at a single point in time and many who abuse have no prior criminal record. Improvement is essential.

We encourage all those who volunteer or work with children to recognise that such checks are necessary and that they are not intended to cast suspicion over the many who give up their time to help children but to weed out the few seeking to abuse them.

The NSPCC has always been clear that this new scheme must be introduced carefully, in a way that does not inadvertently penalise children, weaken community relationships, or provide parents with a false sense of security. The government must now provide clearer and more detailed information about the scheme and how it will work in practice.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

The NSPCC is the UK’s leading children charity specialising in child protection and the prevention of cruelty to children. The NSPCC’s purpose is to end cruelty to children FULL STOP. The NSPCC runs projects and services across the United Kingdom and Channel Islands, including ChildLine, the UK’s free, confidential 24-hour helpline for children and young people. The NSPCC helps over 10,000 children and their families every year.

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