The National Day Nurseries Association has proposed a childcare passport, which would include verification of CRB checks and qualifications, but this is still not enough - we should all be doing that already. CRB checks are a starting point but only highlight the offenders that have been caught. As for verification of qualifications, what good would that have done in the case of Huntley? We want to know that a person is clear of any serious allegations that did not go to trial which should stop them from working with vulnerable people, including the disabled and elderly.
It is right and proper that a neutral, non-commercial body should oversee this process, such as Ofsted, which already has suitable systems in place that could be expanded. We have seen the unacceptable rise in the cost of CRB checks from 10 to 33. This, as we all know, has led to more and more unchecked staff. Registration and accessibility to information must be free - you cannot put a price on a child's life.
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