Stephen Smellie

Congress welcomed the additional protection for children and vulnerable adults in the new Protecting Vulnerable People Bill but warned that the costs of registration must not fall on employees, especially the low paid, and on the unwaged.

With over 400,000 workers to be registered plus 250,000 voluntary workers, registration was going to be a major issue.

Supporting a motion from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, UNISON's Stephen Smellie said that it was right that service users can be confident that the people employed to support them are properly checked and vetted.

However, the risk of duplication of investigation by various regulatory bodies and employers, the additional cost imposed on low paid workers and the lack of a clear right to an open hearing could actually "make our members more vulnerable in the future."

Calling on employers to bear the cost of registration, Stephen said, "Anything that makes working in the caring sector more difficult and puts more costs onto low paid workers will make it more difficult to recruit and retain the quality workforce we need.

"This will then impact negatively on the quality of services we are able to provide to the very vulnerable groups the legislation is designed to protect."

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