Council welcomes new scheme to protect vulnerable groups

The Highland Council Child Protection Committee has welcomed the announcement made today by the Minister for Children and Early Years Adam Ingram about the new scheme for protecting vulnerable groups.
 
This new scheme will:

It replaces current disclosure arrangements for people who work with vulnerable groups in Scotland, and make sure that those who have regular contact with children and protected adults through paid and unpaid work do not have a known history of harmful behaviour.
 
The scheme will help ensure that children’s agencies, including Highland Council and NHS Highland, as well as many voluntary organisations, will have effective safeguards to ensure safe recruitment processes.  It will also help ensure that individuals are not burdened by unnecessary bureaucratic processes.
 
Chair of the Child Protection Committee, Director of Social Work Harriet Dempster, said: “"I am delighted to learn of the new measures which will be put in place to speed up and streamline how we check on people's suitability for working with vulnerable groups. Protecting vulnerable groups is a key priority. This new approach achieves a better balance between protection and practicality, removes the need for multiple checks, reduces the risk of delay and provides workable safeguards which will be welcomed by employers and volunteers."
 
Councillor Margaret Davidson, Chair of the Housing & Social Work Committee said:” It is a sad reality that some people will try and gain access to employment with vulnerable people for the purpose of exploitation or abuse.  Society expects that we have safeguards in place, and this scheme provides a flexible but robust model, with less bureaucracy for all.”
 
Highland Council Chief Executive Alistair Dodds said that: “The Council’s recent public performance survey highlighted that communities rate child protection services very highly, and I believe that people recognise the needs for effective safeguards to be in place.  At the same time, we do not wish to constrain people from working or volunteering to work in care and support services.  This scheme introduces a more streamlined approach, promoting safe recruitment measures that the public should have confidence in.”