Swiis recruitment news

SWIIS welcomes tough new vetting regulations

A national supplier of staff who work with children and vulnerable adults has welcomed the tough new standards of vetting that are being introduced by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

SWIIS, one of Britain’s largest recruitment companies in the social care sector, believes that the Vetting and Barring Scheme of the ISA, which will become compulsory for all workers over the next two years, will help to ensure that both employers and staff comply with the new regulations designed to ensure the safety of the vulnerable.

SWIIS maintains that the thorough checking shortly to be enshrined in law is already embedded into its own practices and procedures.

Nick Thompson, National Compliance Officer for SWIIS, said: “The ISA is quite rightly setting standards that we have been advocating for many years. We conduct face-to-face interviews, carry out enhanced CRB /Disclosure Scotland checks, obtain references over a five-year history and verify all claimed qualifications and certificates.

“We have never taken shortcuts in vetting the people we place to work with children or vulnerable adults. It is part of our culture and much of the work of the compliance team involves ensuring that unannounced and diarised audits and checks are carried out as part of a rolling programme of compliance.

“Too many agencies have taken shortcuts in the past that have damaged the reputation of the social care sector but, more importantly, have put people at risk. The ISA’s Vetting and Barring Scheme is overdue and very welcome.”

Under the new rules, ISA-registration for the Vetting and Barring Scheme starts for new workers or those moving jobs in July 2010 and ISA-registration will become mandatory for these workers in November. All other staff will be phased into the scheme from 2011.

 In Scotland the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme will be introduced towards the end of 2010 and will replace and improve upon the current disclosure arrangements for people who work with vulnerable groups.

SWIIS employs the tight vetting of staff across each of its divisions - Social Care, Foster Care, Interpretation and Translation and Healthcare.

Nick added: “Each of our divisions is dealing with vulnerable people. We predominantly work in social care but also place staff into other sectors including probation, education, healthcare and other associated services. It is of paramount importance that we know they can be trusted and that can only be achieved by the most thorough and vigorous vetting procedure.”