Draft regulations titled ‘Protection of Freedoms Act (Disclosure and Barring Service Transfer of Functions) Order 2012’ have been published which transfer the functions of the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) and the functions of the Secretary of State in England and Wales under various Acts to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Currently the ISA is responsible for maintaining the barred lists which work to bar people from engaging in regulated activities relating to either children or vulnerable adults. It also has functions relating to the exchange of information with providers of regulated activities. However, the 2011 government review of the Vetting and Barring Scheme recommended a scaling back of the criminal records checking and barring system and suggested streamlining these processes by creating a new, single organisation.
This new organisation is the DBS which takes over the functions of both the CRB and ISA. It will be a Non-Departmental Public Body of the Home Office. A number of reforms will be implemented by the DBS which will result in a reduction in the number of posts requiring checks from 9.3 million to 5 million.
These changes will be coming into force on the 1 December 2012.
