Anyone working with children need to be disclosure checked New vetting rules for adults who help with school activities or serve on school councils amount to an identity card scheme, says a parents’ group.
Checks on the background of those who come into contact with children have been around for a while, but they are about to be upgraded.
The Scottish Parent Teacher Council has written to ministers voicing concern.
It said it was worried the replacement scheme would see volunteers’ records being kept indefinitely.
The letter outlining the council’s views will be considered by the children’s minister Adam Ingram.
“Disclosures are designed to protect young people and vulnerable adults but, in some areas, have become a paper chase and a box-ticking exercise”
Eileen Prior Scottish Parent Teacher Council
Concern about potential child abuse has led to extensive checks on the background of any adult who may come into contact with children.
The present system was thought to be too bureaucratic and too expensive and its replacement comes into force at the end of November.
In the letter to Mr Ingram, the council’s executive director, Eileen Prior, said: “We have raised concerns about misuse of disclosure checks since the original scheme started some years ago.
“Now the legislation is about to change and we know many local authorities intend to continue pushing parents through disclosure in the same way.”
She added that the new system would require people who work with children to be long-term members of the scheme and have their personal records held on government computers.
‘Paper chase’
Ms Prior said: “The government has spent in excess of £50m on the IT and systems development for the new scheme: surely that has not been spent to monitor parents who hire a hall or want to be part of a parent council? In effect this becomes an identity card scheme.
“We believe the government has to act in order to stop local authorities from pursuing these policies.
“Disclosures are designed to protect young people and vulnerable adults but, in some areas, have become a paper chase and a box-ticking exercise.
“We believe common sense has to prevail.”
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