Nursery owners have said they feared that even with the introduction later this year of the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Order (2003), there would still be scope for another incident of the type that led to the murders of two schoolgirls in Soham.
A nursery owner in County Antrim, who has asked not to be named for fear of a response by social services, said the problem stemmed from the reluctance of local health and social services trusts to let settings register directly with the Pre-Employment Consultancy Service (PECS) for police checks on prospective staff.
A spokesman for the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) said, 'We currently have 14 private day nurseries directly registered to use PECS. The insistence of trusts to have PECS checks carried out through them is a matter for the trusts in question.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
