§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the postponement of Criminal Record Bureau checks on domiciliary care staff and the implications it has for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults List; and what systems have been put in place to ensure vulnerable adults are protected from harm or abuse in their own home. [97208]
§ Jacqui SmithFrom 1 April this year, for the first time we are introducing regulation to the domiciliary care sector that will bring into force new requirements for employers when checking the suitability of new employees. These new requirements will add significantly to the level of protection from abuse to vulnerable adults in their own homes.
The protection of vulnerable adults (PoVA) list will be implemented when we are confident that the CRB are able to cope with the demand. When PoVA checks are introduced they will further enhance the level of protection offered to the recipients of domiciliary care services.