ISA Activity

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act defines two forms of activity for which an individual must be registered with the ISA Vetting and Barring Scheme.

Regulated Activity

Regulated activity is defined in Schedule 4 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act  and has four distinct sections.

Generally, an individual is involved in regulated activity if the activity is:

  • teaching, training, instruction, care, superivison or providing advice and guidance or driving a vehicle used specifically for transporting children or vulnerable adults. The activity must happen frequently once a week or more or intensively four or more days in a single month or overnight
  • providing any form of healthcare or treatment. The activity must happen frequently once a month or more or intensively four or more days in a single month or overnight.
  • in a specified place such as childcare premises, a children's residential home, a school, a children's hospital, a children's centre, an adult care home or an FE institution wholly or mainly for under 18's. The activity must happen frequently once a week or more in the same setting or four or more days in a single month or overnight.

Example: A sports coach providing swimming lessons to children once a week. This individual would be teaching or training on a frequent/intensive basis and therefore is undertaking regulated activity.

Example: A school receptionist who although does not teach, train, supervise or care for children in the school does work in a specified place and therefore has opportunity for contact with children. This is regulated activity.

Example: A counselor working at a drugs and alcohol advisory service who comes into weekly contact counseling adults who have alcohol or drug dependency. This is a regulated activity.

Controlled Activity

Controlled activity is defined in Sections 21-23 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act.

Generally an individual is involved in controlled activity if they are:

  • Ancilliary support workers in Further Education, the NHS and adult social care. (Such as a cleaner, caretaker, catering staff or receptionist);
  • Working for a specified organisation which gives the opportunity for access to sensitive records about children or vulnerable adults. (Such as Local Authorities in the exercise of its education or social services functions.)
The period conditions are defined as follows:
  • Frequent – once a week or more
  • Intensive – four days in one month or more
A barred individual can sometimes be employed in controlled activity, providing tough safeguards are in place, such as stringent supervision. However, a person barred as a result of a caution or conviction for a relevant offence will not be able to work or volunteer in controlled activity in Wales.

Example: A member of catering staff at an NHS hospital who on a frequent or intensive basis provides a food service to patients on the wards.

Example: An administrative officer in a local authority who has responsibility for managing files on children in care, where those files contain personal information.
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