§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
What types of childcare workers require vetting through the Criminal Records Bureau; and why it is considered not necessary that professional nannies should be vetted by the bureau. [HL 1504]
§ Baroness Ashton of UphollandChildcare workers operating in childcare settings regulated by Ofsted or the National Care Standards Commission are vetted through the Criminal Records Bureau. Nannies or other childcare workers who care for children in the child's home are not regulated by Ofsted and so are not vetted by them.
Criminal Records Bureau disclosures can contain sensitive information, including about spent convictions, so access to them is restricted to bodies such as Ofsted, which have registered with the bureau. Individuals are not able to register. However, parents wanting to secure a nanny who has been vetted by the bureau can go to a registered agency offering to supply such a nanny.