Protection Of Children And The Launch Of Faircheck

EDM number 1089 in 1994-95, proposed by Ann Winterton on 05/05/1995.

That this House reaffirms its view that the state owes to children in its care a particular responsibility for their wellbeing and protection; deeply regrets the lasting harm which has been done to many vulnerable youngsters by adults whose access to children has been facilitated by employers whose vetting of candidates has been inadequate; deplores the breaches of trust and abuses of authority by those who have so harmed their charges; urges all those involved in the care of children to leave no stone unturned in checking applicants for positions which bring them into contact with children; believes that such vetting should not only deal with prior offences, but also adopt the preventive approach of seeking to identify individuals whose personality profile makes them potential future perpetrators of child physical, mental and sexual abuse; welcomes the launch, in the presence of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health on Tuesday 9th May at the Royal College of Medicine, of Faircheck as an agency specifically to bring to bear professional expertise to improve such vetting procedures; and recommends that all local authorities, charities, churches, youth organisations and commercial caring concerns review their vetting procedures to ensure that their duty of care for their young charges is not abrogated.

This motion has been signed by a total of 49 MPs.