Criminal Records Bureau checks should also be compulsory for education recruiters says Select Education

With recent government research putting child safety at UK schools in the spotlight, Select Educatio

Child protection proposals must not discriminate against temporary staff, says Select Education

Government proposals to improve child protection following the failures in the vetting system highlighted following the Soham murders have been welcomed by Select Education plc, the UK's largest education recruitment consultancy. Under the proposals, the Government will establish a central registration scheme for everyone who works with children or vulnerable adults, so creating a consistent and continuous approach to vetting. The scheme will also enable employers and businesses like Select Education, which supplies teaching and support staff to schools and colleges across the UK, to check with the central register to see if an individual is barred from working with children. Once they have carried out that check, changes to the worker's status for example later barrings from working with children or young people - will be provided to employers or recruiters who have enquired about that individual in the past.

John Dunn, Marketing and Projects Director of Select Education plc commented, 'We have been concerned for some time about gaps in the vetting system and about failure of the various bodies concerned to communicate with one another. The proposals appear to deal with these communication problems, requiring a positive check to ensure that someone is not barred, which is encouraging. It's also very helpful that employers and recruitment firms will be informed about changes in an individual's status once a check has been carried out. Some supply agencies have complained because these proposals will mean that a check against the register needs to be carried out each time someone registers, but we have long adopted this approach to CRB checking because it provides added security.'

Select Education remain concerned, however, about the likely cost of the new system. John Dunn commented, 'Clearly child protection has to be paramount, but the cost of the new vetting scheme must not discriminate against flexible and temporary employment. Obviously temporary staff change jobs more frequently than permanent staff, and organisations like Select Education carry out thousands of checks each year as part of our child protection responsibilities. We're very supportive of the new system in principle, but will be calling on the Government to ensure that it does not discriminate unfairly against temporary staff or against businesses like Select Education. This is particularly important bearing in mind increased demand for childcare staff with the extension of the school day from 8 till 6, and the huge additional volume of checks that this will require. Under the new proposals both teachers and employers would pay a separate fee to the new centralised body. John Dunn added, 'The Government must find a way to make sure that supply teachers and agencies - are treated fairly and not just as a useful source of income for the new registration body.'