ACS Wins Clarification on Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act
02 Jun 2008
ACS the voice of over 33,000 local shops has welcomed the clarification offered by the Government on the potentially costly Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act. The Government has said that in the case of children in employment aged under 16, including those in work experience, an employer would commit an offence if they knowingly used a person who is banned from instructing, training or teaching children, however, there should be no mandatory requirement on employees to be registered with the Independent Safeguarding Authority. ACS had argued strongly to Government that requiring all shop workers who supervised under 16s, including newspaper deliverers, to have a costly Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, was excessive.
Chief Executive, James Lowman said: “This is a great success for local shops and has avoided more unnecessary bureaucracy and costs for small businesses. At over £60 for each criminal record check this Act could have cost hundreds of pounds for local shops who already have burdens of complying with so much red tape and the administrative costs associated with this.
“ACS supports any measures that protect the most vulnerable sections of society, but requiring CRB checks for all staff was unnecessarily excessive and would have potentially seen the end of young people under the age of 16, such as newspaper deliverers, being employed.”
Contacts:
Shane Brennan Public Affairs and Communications Manager
01252 515001/ 07921 372 978
Nina Collins Communications Coordinator
01252 515001
Michael Saxton/ Julie Kirby Grappa PR
020 7602 9222
Notes to Editors:
1. ACS (Association of Convenience Stores) is the voice of local shops, representing over 33,000 convenience stores. ACS helps local shops thrive through lobbying, support and networking opportunities.
Chief Executive, James Lowman said: “This is a great success for local shops and has avoided more unnecessary bureaucracy and costs for small businesses. At over £60 for each criminal record check this Act could have cost hundreds of pounds for local shops who already have burdens of complying with so much red tape and the administrative costs associated with this.
“ACS supports any measures that protect the most vulnerable sections of society, but requiring CRB checks for all staff was unnecessarily excessive and would have potentially seen the end of young people under the age of 16, such as newspaper deliverers, being employed.”
Contacts:
Shane Brennan Public Affairs and Communications Manager
01252 515001/ 07921 372 978
Nina Collins Communications Coordinator
01252 515001
Michael Saxton/ Julie Kirby Grappa PR
020 7602 9222
Notes to Editors:
1. ACS (Association of Convenience Stores) is the voice of local shops, representing over 33,000 convenience stores. ACS helps local shops thrive through lobbying, support and networking opportunities.