Thanks Richard,
I'll check out the links.
Clearly the MLA document should urgently be rectified from stating that "anyone employed to work with children" are required to be registered with ISA to clearly and obviously state (not in footnotes or linked documents) that it is only those doing so in permanent, frequent or intensive situations that needs to be on the database? If not, I can imagine a host of museum/galleries demanding ISA registration where it is actually not necessary, and in doing so, lose a number of experienced educators and guests who are not willing to be listed on the scheme.
Best
Lili
From: Richard Ellam <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tue, 30 March, 2010 12:37:23
Subject: Re: MLA Safeguarding Guidance Bulletin - ISA Vetting & Barring Scheme
HI Lilli and allI recently raised this question with the Orwellian sounding Vetting and Barring Agency, and copies of both my query and the VBA response follow:+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Dear Richard
Thank you for your recent email.
I can confirm that for individuals who go into different schools or similar settings to work with different groups of children should not be required to register with the ISA unless their contact with same group of children is frequent or intensive.
"Frequent" - one occasion per week or more on an ongoing basis
"Intensive" - on four or more occasions in any 30 day period.
Full details regarding 'visits to different settings' can be found on page 14 of a document called 'Drawing the line'
the web link is below for your convenience.
http://publications.everychildmatters.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-01122-2009.pdf
If you would like to be kept up to date in the future on the Vetting and Barring scheme, please reply to this email with your preferred contact details.
Kind regards,
Sarah Fenton
The Vetting & Barring Scheme Information Team
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Ellam [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 10:25 AM
To:
Cc:
Subject: Do I need to register with the ISA?
Hi
I am a freelance writer and presenter of Science Shows. I am self-
employed.
My work, for which I am paid, involves me visiting schools, museums
and science centres to present live performances to audiences of
children and adults.
Although I may spend up to about 100 days a year in schools, I
generally only visit any particular school for one or at the most two
days, and the contact that I have with any given class of children is
normally limited to them sitting in an audience in front of me for up
to about 1 hour. In some shows I get members of the audience up to
help with experiments. Children are always accompanied in my shows by
their class teachers and other members of school staff.
I also occasionally perform at science festivals and similar events,
where I may be engaged for 3-4 days, to perform shows for visiting
schools. Again I will see any given class of children for only about
1 hour during this 3-4 day process, and the classes are always
accompanied by teachers and other adult helpers.
So the question is, given that Authors who visit schools to give
readings will not be required to register with the ISA, and the work
that I do has basically similar levels of contact with children to
that of visiting authors, do I need to register with the ISA?
Please support your answer with full argument and reference to the
appropriate regulations and legislation.
Yours
Richard Ellam.
It seems therefore that if you don't work with the same children more than once a week, on a regular basis , or on more than four days in any one month, that you won't have to register with the ISA or go through the nonsense of CRB checks. These changes to the regulations came into force in January this year after the public condemnation of the previous absurdly stringent rules when they were announced before Xmas.However, just to prove that the State really is run by fools, OFSTED is now making a big fuss about 'safeguarding' and so some schools are behaving in a totally paranoid way over the whole business of Vetting, and more or less refusing to allow anyone without a CRB check onto their premises, despite there being no statutory basis for any such requirement.
Its worth noting that the Government cannot produce a shred of evidence that the exsiting CRB check system is more effective as a means of combatting child abuse than its predecessor, and will not be able to show that the money spent (wasted?) on the new scheme will make it any more effective than the existing one - they don't bother to collect relevant data!
If, as I do, you feel strongly that the whole business of 'child protection' and vetting has got completely out of hand then an organisation called the Manifesto Club has been running a campaign against this form of 21 century witch hunt for some years. To find out more see www.manifestoclub.com/hubs/vetting.
Hope this helps
Cheers
Richard
Richard Ellam
L M Interactive
Science Shows and Hands-On Stuff
tel/fax 01761 412 797
www.lminteractive.co.uk
[log in to unmask]
On 29 Mar 2010, at 20:40, lilli sort wrote:
Richard EllamL M InteractiveScience Shows and Hands-On Stufftel/fax 01761 412 797Thanks for this.
However, I can't imagine that everyone is simply in favour of this new scheme and would like to know if anyone is involved in getting it rectified or stopped?
I know there has been general opposition to it from within literature and music and personally know of several artists, now often working on educational projects, who will stop doing this if regisring on the datebase becomes a requirement.
I'd like to hear some views on this from within the sector - also if you know of any museum led opposition groups working to get the scheme stopped (I know the government already has been forced to re-think) but have no specific point for finding what the sector is thinking.
Thanks all,
Lilli
From: Jan Kofi-Tsekpo <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Mon, 29 March, 2010 18:39:11
Subject: MLA Safeguarding Guidance Bulletin - ISA Vetting & Barring SchemeWith apologies for cross-posting.
MLA Safeguarding Guidance Bulletin - ISA Vetting & Barring Scheme
Please see the following link to the MLA Safeguarding Guidance Bulletin about safeguarding and child protection, with key information about the Independent Safeguarding Authority’s new Vetting & Barring Scheme.http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/policy_development/learning/~/media/Files/pdf/2010/programmes/MLA_safeguarding_bulletin_03-10
The bulletin includes Frequently Asked Questions drawn up by Artswork during their delivery of 10 safeguarding seminars across England , and also complements the recent advice surgeries run by the NSPCC; both run on behalf of the MLA’s Strategic Commissioning Continuing Professional Development programme. http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/programmes/commissioning/CPD
This is the first of three six-monthly bulletins to be issued by the MLA as a supplement to our current MLA NSPCC Safeguarding Guidance document.
Further information about the new scheme can be found on the ISA website: http://www.isa-gov.org.uk/ or by ringing 0300 123 1111.
Jan Kofi-TsekpoStrategic Commissioning Project Manager - National CPD / 14-19 / LondonMuseums Libraries & Archives Council
<1.3632340458>
T: +44 (0) 7825 932 769F: +44 (0) 121 345 7303
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