Don't Bother Redesigning the Vetting and Barring Scheme, Just Scrap It, Says Youth Education Charity WORLDwrite

London, United Kingdom, September 22, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Earlier this year, the Coalition government announced the temporary suspension of the Vetting and Barring Scheme under which 9 million people were set to be CRB checked. But will this temporary halt, whilst the government shaves it down along more 'commonsense' lines be a solution and can a re-design go far enough? A timely short report filmed by young volunteers working with the East London based youth education charity WORLDwrite and its Citizen TV channel WORLDbytes suggests not.

On the programme, entitled "The Age of Accusations," Mervyn Barrett from the charity NACRO, which works with ex offenders, explains that whilst reform may reduce the number of occupations covered by the scheme, people who are cautioned or even convicted with minor offences still face the prospect of being barred from many jobs on the basis of allegations alone.

Mervyn points out: "Colleges, universities, employers, and volunteer organisations are no longer prepared to take chances with anyone who has got a criminal record, no matter how minor, how old or how irrelevant it is."

Increasingly large numbers of people are being refused places on childcare courses, healthcare courses and other educational avenues on the basis of a reprimand picked up as 15 year olds.

WORLDwrite-WORLDbytes Director Viv Regan said today:
"The distrust whipped up by the scheme and destruction of people's lives based on allegations and suspicion is far more dangerous than the miniscule risk of someone dodgy getting employed or volunteering. In any case, the best way to reduce risks posed to children by those who work or volunteer with them is to rely on the vigilance of other adults, not a piece of paper. Not only does the Vetting and Barring Scheme undermine this need for our own circumspection, but it also has huge implications for civil liberties and privacy rights. A review of the system is no solution at all. The scheme should be scrapped in favour of human judgement - period."

The report, "The Age of Accusations" is available to watch on WORLDbytes at: http://www.worldbytes.org/shooting-views-the-age-of-accusations/
For more information and interviews contact:
Viv Regan Email: vivregan@btconnect.com Tel: +44 (0)7939 449 604 or +44 (0)20 8985 5435

Notes to editors:
WORLDbytes is an alternative on-line Citizen TV channel featuring reports and programmes created by young volunteers learning to shoot 'on the job'. Its programmes aim to get behind the headlines and promote a people-first perspective on a wide-range of issues. The channel's credo is "don't shout at the telly, change the message on it."

WORLDbytes is run by the education charity WORLDwrite, registered charity number 1060869. The charity champions quality citizen reporting and provides free film training to make this possible. The charity's website address is www.worldwrite.org.uk.WORLDwrite has an open door policy and encourages all-comers to get involved and recognise there are no limits to what's possible.

For more general information, please visit: www.worldwrite.org.uk & www.worldbytes.org

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Contact
WORLDwrite
Ceri Dingle
02089855435
www.worldwrite.org.uk
For more information and interviews contact:
Viv Regan
Email: vivregan@btconnect.com
Tel: +44 (0)7939 449 604 or +44 (0)20 8985 5435
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