Nursery World - Loophole left in child protection

The Scottish Executive moved to strengthen its proposed child protection legislation last week, but faces demands for further action after failing to close the loophole that leaves privately-hired nannies unchecked. Michael White, Scottish regional officer of the Professional Association of Teachers, said he plans to write to the Executive to seek further amendments to the Protection of Children (Scotland) Bill. 'There is a loophole there. While nannies hired through agencies are regulated, those taken on privately are not,' he said.

Michael White, Scottish regional officer of the Professional Association of Teachers, said he plans to write to the Executive to seek further amendments to the Protection of Children (Scotland) Bill. 'There is a loophole there. While nannies hired through agencies are regulated, those taken on privately are not,' he said.

A spokesman for the Scottish Executive confirmed that parents will not be able to check whether a nanny is on the list of persons deemed unsuitable to work with children 'unless they take them on through an agency'.

He said that information from the list can only be disclosed through a 'higher level check' through Disclosure Scotland - part of the Scottish Criminal Record Office - and only if an application for disclosure is countersigned by a registered body. 'A parent can't be a registered body, but the nanny agency can be,' he added.

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