“A Right to Protection” Report on Vetting launched – full copies on www.niccy.org/helpful

ALL adults who want to work with children and young people must be checked to keep children safe from abusers, the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, Nigel Williams said today.

Launching the outcome of his review into vetting – the process whereby adults who work with or volunteer to work with children and young people are checked to make sure they are suitable – Mr Williams also called for clear simple guidelines to help organisations keep children safe.

Mr Williams stressed that vetting was one part of child protection, which he said was everyone’s responsibility, and the responsibility of all agencies to see that there are consistent guidelines, consistently applied.

“Today I have made recommendations in five key areas, aimed at improving the safety of children and young people by improving the way we protect them from potential abusers who try to gain positions of trust through employment or volunteering,” he said.

”I know that we cannot create a perfect way to do this, but I want to make sure that we do all we can – and I am calling on the Secretary of State to extend the statutory requirements to make sure that all adults who want to work with or volunteer to work with children are vetted.”

Mr Williams report – entitled ‘A Right to Protection’ – is based on a year long independent study carried out on behalf of the Commissioner by barrister Ruth Lavery.

Mrs Lavery said: “The review is a comprehensive look at vetting in Northern Ireland. It points out many of the weaknesses in the current system.

“As a result of this report I hope that all agencies will now take this issue seriously, and re-examine the ways that we can make sure that children are afforded their right to be protected from harm.”

The Commissioner said that there are many challenges, but believes that there is a willingness within Government to tackle the issue.

Mr Williams is asking Government to respond to his and Mrs Lavery’s recommendations within three months and to report in 12 months on progress in implementing them.

“A Right to Protection”, together with Ruth Lavery’s “Review of Vetting in Northern Ireland” can be downloaded from www.niccy.org/helpful.

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