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	Churches Defy Writers over Schools Vetting Religious Leaders Back the New Independent Safeguarding Authority By Riazat Butt The Observer October 11, 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/oct/11/churches-defy-writers-over-schools Churches are on a collision course with artists and writers after wholeheartedly endorsing a scheme that vets individuals before they enter schools. The Independent Safeguarding Authority's vetting and barring scheme, which comes into force tomorrow, requires all people who come into contact with children to register their details on a national database for £64. Set up in response to the murders of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells by school caretaker Ian Huntley in 2002, it was met with fierce opposition last July from prominent children's writers, who denounced the scheme as demeaning and insulting. But churches, which have faced decades of controversy over their handling of sex abuse cases, welcomed the scheme. According to the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service, which advises and trains Christian and secular organisations in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, a positive response to the government's roadshows on the new scheme showed that churches were taking their responsibilities seriously. David Pearson, the advisory service's chief executive, said: "I didn't detect anyone saying they didn't want this. People expect that if they are going to be caring for other people's children that there are checks in place. Where do you draw the line? There has been acceptance that churches need to get their act together. If you want to say we're taking safeguarding seriously, then you have to say we'll vet everyone." Making exceptions would lead to unscrupulous people exploiting loopholes, he warned. "You can't argue about boundaries," he said, referring to writers such as Philip Pullman, Frank Cottrell Boyce and former children's laureate Anne Fine, who were vehement in their protests against the scheme. Pullman had called the plans "outrageous, demeaning and insulting", saying it seemed to be "fuelled by the same combination of prurience, sexual fear and cold political calculation. When you go into a school as an author or an illustrator you talk to a class at a time or else to the whole school. How on earth – how on earth – how in the world is anybody going to rape or assault a child in those circumstances? It's preposterous." Three months after the initial chorus of disapproval, authors are resolute in their opposition. Adele Geras, who has written more than 90 books for children of all ages, said: "It's quite a lot of work, expense and time. It's pointless. I've gone into 32 schools and so far nobody has ever asked me to do a check. It's going to come down to young writers whose income depends on school visits rather than people who make their money from their books." Only authors who plan to go into schools regularly – once a month or more – will have to be registered and the government has said the fees will be paid for authors, provided they are not being paid to visit the schools. Anyone barred will go on a separate register and could face up to five years in prison if they try to get work in a job covered by the regulations.
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