Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill [HL]

I rise to speak to Amendment No. 75. As the noble Baroness, Lady Walmsley, said, this amendment also concerns the scope of the bar. Under the Bill, all posts in schools and in registered care homes would be covered by the bar. Ancillary posts in other care and health settings would not. It would not be feasible to make the bar apply to all posts in all services used by vulnerable adults, because the definition of ““vulnerable”” in the Bill is drawn so widely. It includes everyone who is receiving healthcare, which is pretty much the whole population at some point in their lives. However, some services are wholly or primarily used by people who are disabled or who have impaired mental capacity. Those people should be afforded greater protection than is currently offered by the Bill. By using the definition in the National Assistance Acts, which relates to physical and learning disabilities, that can be achieved without making the scope of the bar wider than would be proportionate. The effect of the amendment would be that all posts in settings such as day services for vulnerable adults would be subject to the bar, without making it apply to posts such as dentists’ receptionists or a clerical worker in the social services department, which would clearly be disproportionate. A day centre worker is in a very different position from that of a dentist’s receptionist. The latter has, in most cases, very irregular contact with the vulnerable person, whereas in a day centre relationships are established for good or ill—in many instances, those relationships are very important. Therefore, staff in day centres should be covered by the bar. The amendment recognises that and is aimed at protecting potentially vulnerable people from danger. I therefore hope that it will be accepted.