Fair Play for Children today releases the results of its online survey concerning the changes recently introduced by the Government re the new Vetting and Barring Scheme.

The Survey was aimed at asking parents, grandparents and others caring for children in employment settings such as schools, nurseries, playschemes etc what they would wish to see in terms of vetting of staff and volunteers working in such places where their children attended.

88% agreed that vetting should at least take place where the activity is weekly or more - this is the level now adopted for the new Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS).

However, 66% supported vetting where the activity is monthly or more, a major rebuff to the changes to reduce the numbers to be vetted.   But even more pointedly, 64% wanted people vetted if the activity is regular but less than monthly, and 36% opted for checks even for irregular activities.

Visits to Schools

66% of respondents said they wanted schools to have to check authors and other similar visitors to schools to see if the person is barred under the VBS, and 39% said the author etc should have to register with VBS to visit schools and a further 37% said the author should register voluntarily if they wished to access schools.   70% said they would mind if a person barred under VBS from access to children was able to do so because the school did not have to check against the child barring list.

School Exchanges

61% said that parents involved in school exchanges should have to register with VBS, again running counter to the recent changes introduced re the VBS