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Tighter vetting on childcare staff

Proposals for tightening the regulations governing the disqualification of people from working in childcare services in Wales have been put out for consultation by the Welsh Assembly. The consultation, announced last week by assembly health and social services minister Jane Hutt, will involve a wide range of professional and voluntary organisations working with children.

The consultation, announced last week by assembly health and social services minister Jane Hutt, will involve a wide range of professional and voluntary organisations working with children.

The Disqualification for Caring for Children (Wales) Regulations are part of a reform of the regulatory regime affecting a broad spectrum of social care and independent healthcare services. The regulatory functions will be undertaken by the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales (CSIW), a new division within the Assembly, which will not be involved in providing or commissioning care. The changes follow the Care Standards Act 2000.

At the heart of the proposals is a toughening of the procedure for disqualifying individuals from childminding and daycare. Anyone disqualified under the proposals would not be allowed to register to foster a child privately or work as a childminder, nor would they be able to manage or have a financial interest in a children's home or daycare setting. Under existing arrangements local authorities can grant a 'waiver' to lift the ban on someone childminding, fostering privately, working in a children's home or in daycare provision.

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