10.The Working Group’s consideration took place in the context amongst other things of the formulation of the Government’s response to the Report of the Review of Safeguards for Children Living Away from Home (entitled “People Like Us” and known as the Utting Report) published in November 1997. The Utting Report made a number of recommendations in its Chapter 13 for improving recruitment and selection procedures in the child care field. In its published, formal response to the Utting Report in November 1998 (“The Government’s Response to the Children’s Safeguards Review”), the Government said (paragraph 8.6) that it looked forward to the Working Group recommending how a “one stop shop” for single access to the relevant information might be set up. In turn the Working Group recommended (Report, December 1998, placed in the Parliamentary Libraries 25 January 1999) how advantage might best be taken of the creation of the Criminal Records Bureau established by Part V of the Police Act 1997. It was always envisaged that primary legislation would be necessary, and this Act will allow the goal to be approached by setting up the “one stop shop” where all employers may, and those employers specifically designated under the Act must, ensure that all the necessary checks to prevent the employment of unsuitable people in positions involving regular contact with children are carried out and through the facility of one operation on their part.
Background Interdepartmental Working Group on Preventing Unsuitable People from Working with Children