Bichard fights back over CRB checks

[Cub Reporter]

Parents warned over plans to cut criminal record (CRB) checks
By Alex Hunt

BBC News, UK: 9 February 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16931352

Parents should teach their children about the risk of paedophiles, a
minister has said as he defended plans to ease Criminal Records Bureau
checks.

Lord Henley said the current system was "disproportionate" with
"unnecessary red tape and discourages volunteering".

Ministers plan to drop the checks for adults if someone who has been
cleared, such as a teacher, is supervising.

But Lord Bichard warned "dangerous adults" would "take advantage" of
the proposed changes.

Lord Bichard, whose report after the murder of Soham schoolgirls Holly
Wells and Jessica Chapman by a school caretaker led to the present
system being set up, warned the safety of children "must come before
our desire to minimise regulation and bureaucracy".

He said that "children assume that adults who are trusted to offer
guidance or instruction can be trusted - not just in those limited
circumstances such as the youth centre or playing field but wherever
they are encountered".

"I fear that we will very quickly find that dangerous adults will
realise that there are some settings and some ways in which it will be
easier in future for them to gain access to vulnerable children," he
told peers.

"The people we are talking about are manipulative and clever. They
will take advantage of those opportunities."

The proposal to cut the need for Criminal Records Bureau checks for
adults working under supervision with children is part of the red
tape-cutting Protection of Freedoms Bill currently being pored over in
the Lords.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced the proposed change a year
ago, saying he wanted to get the checks "into proportion" and end the
"atmosphere of distrust over adults who are simply trying to do their
best by their own children".

Defending the proposed changes, Home Office minister Lord Henley said
that "whatever the setting, we believe that parents have the primary
responsibility for educating their child in how to react to an
approach from an adult if it goes beyond that adult's normal role".

Lord Henley said "what we are trying to do is create a system that
will provide the necessary safeguards but does not make parents feel
that their children are automatically safe - parents must still have
the duty of looking after their children by warning them of potential
dangers".

==== 'Not fair to parents' ====

He also conceded that schools and other organisations would be allowed
to insist on CRB checks: "We want to emphasise the importance of good
sense and judgement by the managers on the ground when they look at
the issue."

A number of peers joined Lord Bichard in raising concerns - including
the Archbishop of York - that dangerous adults who gain children's
trust in the supervised setting might be able to take advantage of
that trust when not supervised later.

One of those unhappy with the plans, Labour peer Lord Harris of
Haringey, said he agreed a balance had to be struck and "no system
will necessarily protect all children against abuse and against
predators".

But, he said, "the difficulty is that the normal assumption of parents
will be that every person whom their child comes into contact with in
a club or other activity is safe".

Lord Bichard, who withdrew his amendment to the government's plans
after assurances there would be further discussions about the issue,
said all sides agreed on the need for less bureaucracy.

The issue was the need to avoid people who were a risk having
"privileged access to our children".

"Parents expect schools, clubs and centres to be places where they can
leave their children with some confidence... I do not think it is fair
to expect parents to be able to monitor those kinds of situations."

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Comments

"Parents should teach their children about the risk of paedophiles, a
minister has said as he defended plans to ease Criminal Records Bureau
checks."

What's that? People in dirty macs, or any adult except themselves?

"He also conceded that schools and other organisations would be
allowed to insist on CRB checks."

So they can check whoever they like. So they'll probably just check
everyone, like they do now.

"We want to emphasise the importance of good sense and judgement by
the managers on the ground when they look at the issue."

That's the point. People are unable or unwilling to exercise good
sense or judgement on this issue.

--
Cub Reporter