Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA)

[Corabar Entertainment]

ISA is NOT replacing CRB

ISA is intended to give a quick overview of prospective harm. Unlike CRB it does not provide detailed background infomation to the employer to ascertain previous convictions.

ISA is a a prior to full CRB, so to speak.

To go into a bit more depth, everyone who applies via the ISA will complete an application form. The ISA will forward the form to the CRB, who will then release that relevent info back to the ISA. It is ISA who will then make the informed choice whether to allow the applicant to work with children.

This vetting and descision making is called the VBS, vetting and barring scheme.

This is my area of expertise in my day job, and as i get more info ill keep you all updated.

Great clarification there, and sorry for posting wrong info. I only briefly looked at the ISA website, and they were saying on there that those people who were currently in positions with CRB checks would slowly be moving over to ISA registration... which is why I made the assumption (obviously wrongly) that the ISA registration was replacing the CRB checks on the employment front.... again: apologies for getting it completely wrong and only reading PART of the info!

[Dynamic Entertainment]

No worries. All the ISA is doing is taking the decision away from employers. A CRB comes back with every single conviction, driving and the lot, then (originally) the employer made the choice. As your aware, sometimes the employers choice was the wrong one, so the ISA is there to stanardise that choice across the board.

[sleah]

Typical government department where it's so easy for people to missunderstand or not be able to fathom exactly what they are on about....

As Dynamic has explained, it's just anoth part of the Big Brother/Nanny state where government departments have control over everything.
Can we be 100% certain that they will make the right desicion on behalf of an employer, taking everything in to account?

I suspect it will go against anyone who has a conviction from long ago in their past who may be genuinely rehabilitated and has rebuilt their life. They may be stopped from certain jobs because of a piece of paper, rather than a subjective evaluation of the individual, which employers have a degree of control over now.

A real life example. I have a friend who had a Police warning when he was about 20 for sleeping with a Girl 2 weeks from her 16th birthday. This was NOT a result of a complaint by the girl, her parents or anyone else, it came to light during an investigation many months later.
He was young and daft, he's now been married, has a daughter, in a steady relationship and poses no danger whatsoever to vulnerable people.
I'd bet he would fail the ISA/CRB......

[StarZSoundS]

No worries. All the ISA is doing is taking the decision away from employers. A CRB comes back with every single conviction, driving and the lot, then (originally) the employer made the choice. As your aware, sometimes the employers choice was the wrong one, so the ISA is there to stanardise that choice across the board.

Most importantly....what is the cost and procedure for obtaining one please.Even though I don't need one and have never been asked for any document relating to this it may be handy to have it in the 500/1 chance I get asked.....can put the cost against Tax I suppose!!

[Dynamic Entertainment]

Typical government department where it's so easy for people to missunderstand or not be able to fathom exactly what they are on about....

As Dynamic has explained, it's just anoth part of the Big Brother/Nanny state where government departments have control over everything.
Can we be 100% certain that they will make the right desicion on behalf of an employer, taking everything in to account?

I suspect it will go against anyone who has a conviction from long ago in their past who may be genuinely rehabilitated and has rebuilt their life. They may be stopped from certain jobs because of a piece of paper, rather than a subjective evaluation of the individual, which employers have a degree of control over now.

A real life example. I have a friend who had a Police warning when he was about 20 for sleeping with a Girl 2 weeks from her 16th birthday. This was NOT a result of a complaint by the girl, her parents or anyone else, it came to light during an investigation many months later.
He was young and daft, he's now been married, has a daughter, in a steady relationship and poses no danger whatsoever to vulnerable people.
I'd bet he would fail the ISA/CRB......

1. ISA is not a government department. Its a non-departmental public body and as such is run by civil cervants. The home office, whilst it set it up, has no authority over it! Please try and get your facts straight before spouting off

2. With regards to your friend. This is exactly why the ISA was established, to make informed decisions based on all available knowledge, so no he probably would not fail...and warnings/cautions do not usually stay on a permanant record anyway. Ive yet to come across a CRb which has a caution/warning active for longer than 6 years (and i deal with CRBs daily).

Most importantly....what is the cost and procedure for obtaining one please.Even though I don't need one and have never been asked for any document relating to this it may be handy to have it in the 500/1 chance I get asked.....can put the cost against Tax I suppose!!

You still need to go through an umbrella agency unfortunately as a private individual, first that springs to mind, and with a google check is Cloisters http://www.crbcloisters.co.uk/isa-checks-vbs/ and costs £64

[Corabar Entertainment]

You still need to go through an umbrella agency unfortunately as a private individual

I got the impression that they haven't settled on all the details yet, but that you will be able to register direct once the scheme is up and running?

From the website regarding registration:-

Please note: ISA-registration for the Vetting and Barring Scheme does not start for new workers or those moving jobs until July 2010 and ISA-registration does not become mandatory for these workers until November 2010. All other staff will be phased into the scheme from 2011. Further information on how to apply for registration will be provided in due course.

ISA registration does not mean that we make your details available to the general public. Only employers will be able to access your information – and only after you give them your ISA Registration Number. Employers will only be able to check that you are in fact ISA-registered. Only ISA case workers and the police will have access to information we hold about you.

You can apply for registration through your employer if you have one, or if you are applying for a job, through your prospective employer. If you are self-employed – as a childminder, for example – you will need to apply yourself. You will be able to do this through the website as the ISA vetting service is phased in.

We will charge a small fee for applications to register with the ISA as an employee or self-employed worker. This fee covers our administration costs and you will only be asked to pay it once, no matter how many times you change jobs.

We do not charge volunteers for ISA applications.

[Dynamic Entertainment]

Thats news to me Agela, ive just went through a whole bunch of training as the LGA i work for is to be an umbrella company.

If theyve changed the goal-posts again then there are thounsands of people/companies which have undergone training which needent have as we could just forward them on. Do you know when that the ISA website was last updated, becuase that sounds a lot like their original plan 6 months ago.

Leave it with me and ill do some digging

[Corabar Entertainment]

No idea when that was put up / last updated... sorry. I've only just read a bit of it for the first time in the last few days.

HAPPY DIGGING!

[sleah]

1. ISA is not a government department. Its a non-departmental public body and as such is run by civil cervants. The home office, whilst it set it up, has no authority over it! Please try and get your facts straight before spouting off

Thanks for the clarification - I stand corrected Doesn't mean I'd trust them any more though

2. With regards to your friend. This is exactly why the ISA was established, to make informed decisions based on all available knowledge, so no he probably would not fail...and warnings/cautions do not usually stay on a permanant record anyway. Ive yet to come across a CRb which has a caution/warning active for longer than 6 years (and i deal with CRBs daily).

Potentially good news. I wasn't sure about the 6 year thing. Let's hope they do deal with checks in the way you describe.

[Dynamic Entertainment]

Not sure if it is 6 years, but i aint seen any caution older than that...which is either strange or lucky on my part