About the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA)

***The Government has announced their intention to remodel the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) - for the latest information contact us on 01254 355 678***

The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) has been created to help prevent unsuitable people from working with children and vulnerable adults.

The ISA will take responsibility and run the Vetting and Barring Scheme which was established by The Safeguarding Vulnerable Group Acts 2006. This act is one the government's key responses to the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman by Ian Huntley. The new vetting and barring scheme will ensure that everyone working in regulated and controlled activity with children (those defined under 18) or vulnerable adults is checked and registered. (Definitions of regulated and controlled activities are provided below)

The ISA will be working in partnership with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and other delivery partners such as the department for children schools and families(DCSF), department of health and the department of education and will have the power and responsibility to bar unsuitable people from the children's or vulnerable adults' workforce.

The ISA is a single agency which will verify all individuals who want to work with vulnerable people and the first time this decision will be made by independent experts and not Government Ministers.

Anyone wanting to working with vulnerable people will have to register with the ISA and be deemed suitable before they can work in certain environments. The new checking procedures means that the workers status will be automatically kept up to date, as information is fed into the ISA from employers and the Criminal Record Bureau.

ISA will apply to both the paid workforce and the voluntary sector.

The three former barred lists (POCA, POVA and List 99) are being replaced by two new ISA-barred lists; The Children's Barred List and the Adults Barred List. These two new lists will contain details of those individuals the Independent Safeguarding Authority has decided it inappropriate from working with children and vulnerable adults and who are therefore prevented from working or volunteering with them.

The PoVAFirst service is renamed "ISA Adult First". Offering the same service at the same cost. For further information visit www.crb.gov.uk/isaadultfirst

• Please note: ISA-registration for the Vetting and Barring Scheme does not start for new workers or those moving jobs until 26th July 2010. All other staff will be phased into the scheme from 2011.
• Individuals will need to apply for ISA registration, using an application form through Personnel Checks. You will be able to apply for ISA registration and / or a CRB check using the same form.
• Registration under the scheme will commence in July 2010
  Further information on how to apply will be provided in due course.

If you would like to receive further updates as the scheme develops please register your interest by emailing.

Click here for the ISA implementation time line

Click here for the Vetting & Barring Scheme Guidance October 2009

For more information on the Vetting & Barring Scheme (VBS)
www.isa-gov.org.uk

and the Independent safeguarding Authority visit
www.isa.homeoffice.gov.uk

Controlled Activities involve indirect contact with children or vulnerable adults and are in the specified places mentioned above.

Such work includes cleaners, caretakers, catering staff, car park attendants and office administration staff. Controlled activity also includes those who might have access to information about vulnerable groups.

The ISA has been live from 12th October 2009 and businesses are legally obliged to check a candidates ISA status by undertaking an enhanced CRB check. Those entering the job market in regulated activity from July 2010 will need to register before being able to work in such positions.

In December 2009 The Government accepted all of Sir Roger Singletons subsequent recommendations, published in his report "Drawing the Line". The fundamentals of the scheme remain the same: however some changes will ensure that the balance is right between keeping the most vulnerable in our society safe from the harm and avoiding involvement in private arrangements between parents and friends. The necessary adjustments to the rules of the Vetting and Barring Scheme will include:

• ISA registration will apply where organizations such as schools, clubs or groups make the decision as to which adults should work with their children, subject to the revised "frequent" and "intensive" definitions.
• The frequent contact benchmark will be met and therefore ISA registration required if the work with children takes place once a week or more. The standard had been if contact happens as often as once a month or more.
• Individuals who go into different schools or similar settings to work with different groups of children will not be required to register unless their contact with the same children is frequent or intensive
• The minimum age of registration for young people engaged in regulated activity as part of their continuing education will be reviewed. The government has made immediate changes to the rules so that 16-18 year olds in education do not require ISA registration.
• Overseas visitors bringing their own groups of children into the UK will have a 3 month exemption from the requirement to register for the work they do with children they have brought into the UK.
• Exchange visits lasting less than 28 days, where overseas parents accept the responsibility for the selection of the host family, will be regarded as private arrangements and will not require ISA registration.