Nursery World - Nurseries confused on police checking

Private childcare providers face confusion over whether they need to register with Disclosure Scotland, the new police checks organisation, to access criminal records information about potential employees. The Scottish Executive had said that private nurseries and clubs would not have to become registered bodies in order to check criminal records (News, 21 March 2002). It was thought that the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, which took over regulation from local authorities on 1 April, would act as a registered body on their behalf. However, it has now come to light that this was only an interim arrangement which was in operation until Monday 29 April.

The Scottish Executive had said that private nurseries and clubs would not have to become registered bodies in order to check criminal records (News, 21 March 2002). It was thought that the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, which took over regulation from local authorities on 1 April, would act as a registered body on their behalf. However, it has now come to light that this was only an interim arrangement which was in operation until Monday 29 April.

From this week childcare providers will be expected to register in their own right as a countersigning body with Disclosure Scotland in order to countersign applications for standard or enhanced disclosures for potential employees. Becoming a registered body will cost 150 and require providers to set up appropriate procedures for handling sensitive and confidential information.

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