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Vetting and barring scheme could deter volunteers, says Navca
By Kaye Wiggins, Third Sector Online, 5 February 2010
Local umbrella group explains its fears in letter to third sector minister Angela Smith
Kevin Curley, chief executive of local umbrella body Navca, has written to third sector minister Angela Smith setting out his fears that the new vetting and barring scheme will deter people from volunteering and will be expensive and time-consuming for small voluntary and community groups.
The letter warns that the scheme, which was announced in September 2009 and requires volunteers and staff working with children and vulnerable adults to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority, could "curtail the spontaneity and informality that characterises voluntary and community groups".
It adds: "Many volunteers will regard the checks as an intrusion into their privacy and be concerned that their past activities will be made public."
It warns that some people could be dissuaded from volunteering, especially if they have only fleeting contact with beneficiaries and cannot understand why they are covered by the legislation.
The letter asks for government funding to help voluntary groups with the costs of the scheme. Although registration with the ISA is free for volunteers, Navca points out that most small organisations administer their volunteers through umbrella bodies that charge for staff time.
It also calls for guidance on how trustees, members of self-help groups and people with fleeting but regular contact with beneficiaries will be affected under the scheme.
A spokeswoman for the Cabinet Office said:"Although we have not received the letter, we will look into any concerns raised. We work closely with other government departments and third sector organisations, and we are working on guidance for volunteering organisations."
A Panorama programme on child protection looks at the vetting and barring scheme on BBC1 this evening.
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Jan Cosgrove, 8 February 2010, 15:18
Jan Cosgrove for Fair Play for Children reacted to the claims made by Mr Curley as "fear-mongering".
"The surveys undertaken throughout have shown that there is no basis for such claims. I challenge Mr Curley to produce evidence that will contradict the work undertaken by CRB on this. The trouble seems to be that some organisations, because they do not like the idea of vetting per se fail to engage with staff and volunteers to show them how necessary and beneficial checks are for not only the safety of children but also the reputation of voluntary bodies and the re-assurance they should be offering their workers, paid and unpaid, that the people they work with are as trustworthy as themselves.
"Frankly this is so old-hat that it suggests to me that the real issue is cost. On that matter, the voluntary sector would be better off seeking financial assistance from the Government towards covering costs of checking, at least for unpaid workers, than whingeing again about CRB and now ISA checks. Our recent FoI to CRB showed the extent to which the CRB is forced to lump the cost of providing free checks for volunteers onto the fees they charged for checking of employed people - we estimate around 25% of the current Enhanced Disclosure fee of £36 for employed staff, a stealth tax on children's services employers. We take the standpoint, if the Government wants not only the safety of the vulnerable but also to help people to volunteer in their communities, it should put its money where its mouth is and subsidise volunteer CRB and ISA checks."
"If Mr Curley and his organisation cannot accept the need for proper checks to protect the vulnerable and also volunteers, one wonders what they are doing staying in business. No need for fire extinguishers, they cost a lot ....?"
"Six years ago it was fashionable to seek the additional level of checking to be provided by ISA. We had all-party support for the 2006 Act. Now, as memory of the reasons for that solid support fades, ideological punditry and half-baked rumour-mongering has got the politicians and the media all of a do-dah. I'm so sorry to see a reputable voluntary umbrella organisation like Navca falling for this nonsense."
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Ian Morland, 9 February 2010, 13:52
It is good to see a calm, level headed discussion isn't it?
Actually, my memory of the 2006 Act was that it was passed through under a cloud of paranoia with politicians of all sides too afraid to point out the absurdities for fear of, well, being attacked like Kevin has been. Only now do people see the realities of the legislation, when it is being implemented.
And if you don't like this heavy-handed system, just wait until the compulsory ID cards arrive.
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