18 June 2010

Vetting and Barring scheme to be reviewed

The General Dental Council is promising to keep registrants up to date after a Government scheme aimed at protecting children and vulnerable adults was put under review.

It was announced last year that from July 2010 any dental professionals who were changing jobs or starting work for the first time would need to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) and that by 2015 all dental professionals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland would need to be registered. This registration has now been stopped.

Home Secretary, Theresa May, has revealed that registration with the Vetting and Barring scheme is being postponed to allow the Government “to review it and remodel it back to proportionate, common sense levels.”

The Vetting and Barring scheme was devised in response to an enquiry into the 2002 Soham murders which called for better information sharing. It was designed to protect children and vulnerable adults by preventing those who pose a known risk from gaining access to them through their work.

Within the meaning of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, the delivery of dental care is a ‘regulated activity’; therefore it was proposed that all those delivering that care must be registered with the ISA in the long term.

Head of Standards at the GDC, Janet Collins said:

“We will watch with interest the review into this scheme by the Government. We will make sure registrants are up to date with any changes which affect their obligations under the scheme, as well as what information the GDC is obliged to share with the ISA.

We’d also like to remind dental professionals the GDC expects all registrants to be aware of the procedures involved in raising concerns about the possible abuse or neglect of children and vulnerable adults. As Principle 1.8 of Standards for dental professionals states registrants should: Find out about local procedures for child protection. Make sure you follow these procedures if you suspect that a child might be at risk because of abuse or neglect.”

Ends

For media enquiries, please contact Moira Alderson on 020 7009 2756 or email malderson@gdc-uk.org

Notes to editors:

• The review only affects England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Scottish Government is proceeding as planned with its Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG Scheme). This will be phased in over a four year and is expected to commence at the end of 2010 - exact commencement date has still to be announced by Scottish Ministers. For more information on the PVG Scheme visit www.scotland.gov.uk/pvglegislation
  
• The GDC’s full guidance on Child Protection and Vulnerable Adults can be found here.
• For further information about the Vetting and Barring Scheme and the Independent Safeguarding Authority, please visit www.isa-gov.org.uk or call 0300 123 1111
• For more information about the Home Office’s decision please visit http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ or www.direct.gov.uk