Supporting the new secondary curriculum for languages

Guidance from the DCSF about the new Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS)

The Association for Language Learning has received the following guidance this morning about the new Vetting and Barring Scheme. We've been trying to get clarification since March of this year on both the regulations and procedures with regard to the new Vetting and Barring Scheme and the registration of volunteers who host exchange students, and on interim arrangements until the scheme is introduced. We are therefore pleased with this outcome.

Current position

Schools in England have been strongly advised for some years to obtain Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks on adults who volunteer to host pupils from overseas staying here on school-organised exchanges - these checks are neither new nor mandatory. (Such volunteers normally are parents of a child who is reciprocally hosted by the parents of the child staying here.) This is in line with current guidance to schools on volunteers involved in activities requiring an overnight stay, as set out in paragraphs 4.56 and 4.57 of Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education. CRB does not charge an application fee for checks on unpaid volunteers.

From November 2010

A new Vetting and Barring scheme (VBS) is being introduced. The Scheme covers 'regulated activity' with children arranged by an organisation, e.g. caring for or having sole charge of children, which is frequent or includes activity taking place overnight, such as fostering. That will include school exchanges, where a child from abroad is fostered short-term here. However, the Government announced on 14 December 2009 that if the parents of a fostered child take responsibility for selecting the adults who foster that child here, those adults will not have to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). DCSF will issue more detailed guidance on this, early in 2010.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) plans shortly to launch a public consultation on revisions to the current guidance to schools, mentioned above.

General

International experiences are important in providing young people with the understanding and knowledge to be able to live and work in our increasingly global world. The DCSF supports this view and funds a number of international programmes and opportunities for both teachers and pupils. However, it is equally important that we do all we can to protect children who participate in these programmes from those people who could pose a risk of harm to them.

While many schools have excellent arrangements in place for ensuring that people who look after exchange children are suitable, it is not always easy for any organisation to identify an unsuitable individual. Given the nature of the activity and the potential vulnerability of the child, it is right that safeguards are put in place. The child is in a foreign country staying with people they don't know and, unlike other trips, they are not directly supervised by a teacher while they are with the host family.

We are keen to provide clear and consistent information about both current guidance, and future arrangements. For this reason, officials are in the process of finalising web guidance, reiterating current recommendations and setting out future arrangements as clearly as possible. The guidance will be updated if needed following DCSF’s public consultation on revising current safeguarding guidance.”

This information is provided by the DCSF