INFORMATION ON THE NEW
‘VETTING AND BARRING’ SCHEME (VBS) FROM THE INDEPENDENT SAFEGUARDING AUTHORITY (ISA) FOR FREELANCE ARTISTS IN EDUCATION
1. General Information
2. Doesn’t ISA replace the current CRB scheme?
3.How does the Vetting and Barring Scheme affect me as a freelance artist in education?
4. How do I register with the ISA?
5. When do I need to register with the ISA?
6. Further Guidance
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
(This text is copied directly from the ISA website -
The Law is Changing
From 12 October 2009, new measures will be introduced to help prevent unsuitable people from undertaking paid or volunteer work with children or vulnerable adults. This is called the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS). To help implement the Scheme a new public body called the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) has been created [This is a national body created by the Department of Health, Home Office and Department for Children, Schools and Families].
The ISA make decisions over who should be barred from working with vulnerable people. These decisions are legally binding so a barred person must not undertake certain roles under any circumstances. Failing to comply could result in both the employer and the employee or volunteer being prosecuted and even going to prison.
From 26July 2010 all new employees, those moving jobs and volunteers who want to work with children or vulnerable adults can register with the ISA.
Working with the CRB
ISA-registration will not replace the need for Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosure but represents an extra level of protection. This new Scheme helps to ensure that employers can be more confident than ever before that they are hiring a suitable person by making it a legal requirement for everyone who is working with children or the vulnerable to be ISA-registered. A CRB Disclosure will reveal if the person has convictions that would make an employer consider them unsuitable to do the specific job, such as convictions for theft, fraud or dishonesty.
When used together, the ISA registration and CRB checking process will provide employers with one of the most comprehensive assessment and review services available to date.
Obtaining ISA registration is the employee’s responsibility. It is not a difficult or time-consuming process and there is a one-off cost involved. ISA-registration for unpaid volunteers is free. There are two areas of ISA-registration, one covering working with children and one covering working with vulnerable adults. Once successfully ISA-registered, for either or both groups, an individual is ISA-registered for life in most cases and does not need to reapply.
For employers wanting to hire that person they will need to first check their [the applicant’s] registration status. This can be done online for free. Only then, when a candidate’s ISA registration has been confirmed, can they [the applicant] be taken on. At first, the Scheme will affect new employees and volunteers only. Over time, the registration process will be phased in to include current employees and volunteers.
For more information about the Vetting and Barring Scheme, the Independent
Safeguarding Authority, the registration process, who is affected and how, please visit or call 0300 123 1111
2.DOESN’T ISA REPLACE THE CURRENT CRB SCHEME?
(This text is copied directly from the ISA website -
A check will only show if a person is ISA-registered, which means the ISA has found no known reason why the applicant should not work with children or vulnerable adults. It also means that we [the ISA] will review their status if any new information becomes available. It does not check for malpractice or all criminal convictions, and therefore registration with the ISA does not guarantee that a person has no criminal history.
A CRB check provides a fuller picture of a person’s criminal history and allows employers to make informed decisions as to whether that person is suitable for a particular role or position.
For individuals registered with the Vetting and Barring Scheme, further Enhanced CRB checks will be at the employers’ discretion and organisations may still wish to apply for CRB Enhanced Disclosure to obtain an applicant’s full criminal record. However, where there is a legal requirement to check or they are required by a regulatory body (such as Ofsted), it is envisaged that the existing statutory requirements for CRB Enhanced Disclosures will still apply.
3.HOW DOES THE ‘BARRING AND VETTING’ SCHEME AFFECT ME AS AN ARTIST IN EDUCATION?
(This information has been provided by KEAP to explain how the ISA is relevant to artists in education)
The law now states that anyone undertaking work with young people or vulnerable adults needs to be ISA registered if their work is considered to be ‘Regulated’ or ‘Controlled’. It is clear that the work of artists in education falls under the below definition of ‘Regulated activity’.
Regulated activity
Any activity of a specified nature that involves contact with children or vulnerable adults frequently, intensively and/or overnight (such activities include teaching, training, care, supervision, advice, treatment and transportation).
HOWEVER – Although artist in education work with young people falls into the category of ‘Regulated’ activity, most projects are not ‘Frequent’ or ‘Intensive’ (defined below). Only certain projects, such as regular after school art clubs or an arts week which involved an artist at the same school for 4 days, would require ISA registration. An artist going into school for a one off workshop will not require ISA registration.
The ISA definition of ‘Frequent’ and ‘Intensive’ is as follows:
Frequent - Once a week or more with the same group of children
Intensive - Takes place on four or more days in a 30-day period
Please remember that it is a legal requirement for you to be ISA registered if your work falls into one of these categories. You do not have to be involved with ‘Frequent’ or ‘Intensive’ projects in order to become ISA registered, so you may want to register with the ISA scheme as part of your next CRB check in anticipation of carrying out this sort of work in the future.
4.HOW DO I REGISTER WITH THE ISA?
The ISA registration is a one-time process, has no expiration date, and transfers to any future freelance work that you will carry out. ISA Registration has been combined with the process of applying for an Enhanced Disclosure CRB check and will involve the same steps you have previously taken to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure CRB check.
KEAP are in contact with Human Resources at Cornwall Council, who currently process our CRB checks, to work out the process for the combined CRB check and ISA Registration for artists. We expect to have full details of the practicalities by the end of June 2010.
The cost for applying for ISA registration will be in the region on £64 plus the cost of the new CRB check of £50. It is not possible to conduct an ISA registration without an Enhanced Disclosure CRB check.
PLEASE NOTE- there is no cost for volunteers to apply for ISA registration.
5.WHEN DO I NEED TO REGISTER WITH THE ISA?
Although the Vetting and Barring Scheme was officially launched in October 2009, you will not be able to register with ISA until 26JULY 2010. From 1November 2010 anyone considered a new employee undertaking ‘Frequent’ or ‘Intensive’ work with children and young people will need to be ISA registered.
As a freelance artist in education you are likely to find that schools and organisations consider you a ‘new employee’ for each separate piece of work you do with them, as you are not on their payroll.
From 1 April 2011, any people who were already working in regulated activity on 26 July 2010 and have not moved into a new role with a new organisation may apply for ISA registration. This will happen in phases coordinated by the organisation you work for.
By 31 July 2015 everyone working in regulated activity must be ISA registered.
6.FURTHER GUIDANCE
A very useful guidance document has been issued by the ISA which gives more information about the scheme itself, who it applies to and how it will work.
The guidance can be downloaded from
Or go to click on Resource Library at the top, then click on Vetting and Barring Scheme Guidance on the left.
More information about the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) can be found at or by calling
0300 123 1111.
Thanks to Daisi for creating the template for this guidance