There have been some concerns about checks being made on governors by councils. GovernorNet offers Guidance on pre-appointment checks for school governors. These include a set of frequently-asked questions and a map of the appointment process.
Governors are quite happy with the reasons behind the proposals in general, but two particular areas requiring checking have caused concern:
Criminal Record Checking
Governors do have to make a disclosure to the Criminal Records Bureau as a statutory requirement in the interests of child protection. This will apply to all governors within four years.
Bank Checks
These are necessary simply because un-discharged bankrupts cannot be a governor of a school.
The process has been causing difficulties where Local Authorities have requested enhanced disclosure, and where delays at the CRB have left some governing bodies short, not only of new members, but also long-standing members awaiting checking on their re-appointment.
GovernorLine advice is that the guidance available should be followed carefully, so download and read the material available from the DCSF. The latest guidance can be found in the document Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education. A redraft of the Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education guidance will go out for public consultation in October 2009 with the aim of introducing the revised guidance in March 2010.
Vetting and Barring Scheme
Governors, governing body clerks and associate members will be required to register with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (which will involve an enhanced CRB check). Head teachers should ensure that checks are carried out but they will be able to delegate that task to an appropriate member of staff.
From October 2009, a person commits an offence if they take up a position from which they are barred under the barring list. This will be the Independent Safeguarding Authority's barred list which will be an amalgamation of the existing List 99, POVA, POCA etc. It will also be an offence to knowingly allow a person who is barred to take up a post in a regulated activity.
Until November 2010, governors can, as now, be asked to complete the declaration that they are not barred or undergo an enhanced CRB check depending on what the local arrangements are.
Ththe implementation of the full vetting and barring scheme has been postponed until November 2010. From that date all new and reappointed governors will be under a mandatory requirement to register with the Vetting and Barring Scheme before taking up office and this will involve undergoing an enhanced CRB check.
Existing governors will register when they commence a new term of office or take up a position with a different governing body. In this way all governors will be registered by November 2015, when the 4 year transition period ends.
This guidance was last updated in August 2009.
Call GovernorLine on 08000 722 181 or you can e-mail us from this site.
