Legislation delays

Vetting and barring registration is on hold and doubts have been raised over when the Equality Act will be introduced after the implementation date was removed from the Government Equalities Office (GEO) website.

Vetting and Barring
Registration under the vetting and barring scheme for those working with vulnerable people has been put on hold while the system is “fundamentally remodelled” by the new government.

Voluntary registration with the Independent Safeguarding Authority for new employees and job-movers who work with children and vulnerable adults was due to start on 26 July but, following feedback that the proposed system was disproportionate and infringed civil liberties, registration has now been halted. It appeared that the proposed system
The system was being introduced after the 2002 murders of schoolgirls in Soham and was designed to protect children and vulnerable adults by preventing those posing a known risk from gaining access to them through their work, but concerns were expressed about the extra bureaucracy it would generate by duplicating the existing safeguarding measures for many roles where CRB checks are also required, and the wide-reaching scope of the scheme because it would have extended to roles where it was questionable as to whether safeguarding concerns would arise.

The Home Secretary, Theresa May, said: “We’ve listened to the criticisms and will respond with a scheme that has been fundamentally remodelled. Vulnerable groups must be properly protected in a way that is proportionate and sensible. This redrawing of the vetting and barring scheme will ensure this happens.”

The scope of the remodelling process will be announced shortly and will be co-ordinated by the Home Office in partnership with the Department of Health and the Department for Education.

Equality Act
The Equality Act received Royal Assent on 8 April and the bulk of the legislation was due to be implemented in October, but the Government Equalities Office (GEO) website no longer displays that date, and a fact sheet on the Act just states: “The provisions in the Equality Act will come into force at different times to allow time for the people and organisations affected by the new laws to carefully prepare for them.”

A spokeswoman at the GEO could not rule out that the implementation of the majority of the Equality Act could now be delayed under the new government.