The Independent Safeguarding Authority is a government agency set up under the above Act. ISA will hold a database of all those people who work with children and vulnerable adults and determine whether they are suitable.
This brand new scheme will involve all bowlers who work with children and vulnerable adults on a regular basis as Bowls is treated as a Regulated Activity.
The new legislation 'Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006' is being phased in section by section from Autumn, 2009. From 12 October 2009 there will be no ‘standard’ checks for people working with children or vulnerable adults. All clearances will be at 'enhanced'.
The current scheme of CRB clearances through TMG/CRB will continue as at present requiring a clearance at Enhanced Level to comply with the current legislation.
Following a review of the legislation by Roger Singleton ('Drawing the Line') further guidance was provided in December 2009 which the government has accepted and agreed to put into practice. This 'relaxed' the criteria which people had to meet to need a CRB check.
In June 2010 the new government announced an independent review of children's social work and frontline child protection practice under Professor Eileen Munro. Her first report is due in September 2010, with the final report expected in Apirl 2011. As a result the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit under Sir Roger Singleton has been disbanded.
The government also announced on 15 June 2010 that the registration with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) would be halted to allow the government to remodel the scheme back to proportionate, 'common sense levels'. However, the new safeguarding regulations introduced in October 2009 continue to apply and any person who is barred from working with children or vulnerable adults will be breaking the law if they or volunteer, or try to volunteer with these groups. An organisation which knowingly employs someone who is barred to work with those groups will also be breaking the law. Addtionally there is a legal responsibility on any organisation who 'dismisses' a member of staff or volunteer because they have harmed a child or vulnerable adult to report the fact to the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).
From July 2010 a new application form is being introduced for CRB clearances and allows for ISA registration in due course (documents will be distributed in batches to the NGBs from April 2010, but will not be processed by the CRB until the end of July 2010). The section on the new form dealing with ISA registration is to be ignored (ie not completed) until a further decision is made.
You can obtain more information to find out if you need a CRB Clearance and how to obtain one on the Criminal Record Bureau Checks page.
Details of the CRB Application Prodedure can be found under the Application Procedure.
Those seeking a clearance for Crown Green should contact Mr Dave Collier who will arrange for a form to be send and can provide information as to who can verify documentation.
Flat Green, Federation and Short Mat Codes use TMG as their preferred CRB clearance supplier. Documents can either be verified by TMG or by a recognised (by TMG) verifier. Details of how to find out if there is a verifier in your area by clicking here.
You can obtain the current Government's advice on VBS Guidance here.