The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) has been created to help prevent unsuitable people from working with children and vulnerable adults.

To achieve this, the ISA will work in partnership with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), which will gather relevant information on every person who wants to work or volunteer with vulnerable people.

The ISA’s role

The Independent Safeguarding Authority’s (ISA) role is to help prevent unsuitable people from working with children and vulnerable adults. Potential employees and volunteers will need to apply to register with the ISA.

Every person who wants to work or volunteer with vulnerable people will be assessed using data gathered by the CRB, including relevant criminal convictions, cautions, police intelligence and other appropriate sources.

The CRB will receive applications to the ISA and will gather and monitor information. It will also use the information previously found in:

the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoVA) list;
the Protection of Children Act (PoCA) list; and
List 99 (a list of people considered unsuitable for work with children, held by the Department for Children, Schools and Families).

The ISA will then assess this information and decide whether to give the individual concerned ISA registration or put them on one of the ISA Barred Lists.

The records kept by the ISA will be constantly updated as fresh information is gathered. If new data indicates that an individual might pose a risk to vulnerable people, they will be put on one of the ISA Barred Lists and their current employer will be informed immediately.

Only applicants who are judged not to pose a risk to vulnerable people can be ISA-registered. Once the scheme has been fully rolled out, employers who work with vulnerable people will only be allowed to recruit people who are ISA-registered.

Further Information
	Find out more about the Independent Safeguarding Authority by visiting the ISA website...

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