Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make provision in connection with the protection of children and vulnerable adults.
Citation	2006 c. 47
Dates
Royal assent	8 November 2006
Status: Amended
History of passage through Parliament
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (c. 47) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created following the UK Government accepting recommendation 19 of the inquiry headed by Sir Michael Bichard, which was set up in the wake of the Soham Murders.

The Act established the legal basis for the Independent Safeguarding Authority who managed the two lists of people barred from working with children and/or vulnerable adults replacing the former barred lists (List 99,[2][3] the Protection of Children Act 1999 (PoCA),[4] the scheme relating to the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoVA)[5] and Disqualification Orders[6]).[7] The Act also places a statutory duty on all those working with vulnerable groups to register and undergo an advanced vetting process with criminal sanctions for non-compliance.

While the act prohibited people on the barred list from working in residential care for vulnerable adults, it did allow such individuals to be considered to work for support roles in day centres.[8]

The act allowed parents to check online whether an individual (such as a nanny, tutor or any other private instructor or domestic employee) has been banned from working with children.[9]

The following orders were made under this section:

• The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/3545 (C.153))
• The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/1320 (C.57))
• The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Commencement No. 3) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/39 (C.3))
• The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1503 (C.76))
• The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Regulated Activity, Miscellaneous and Transitional Provisions and Commencement No. 5) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/2610 (C.114))
• The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Commencement No. 6, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/2611 (C.115))
• The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Commencement No. 6, Transitional Provisions and Savings (Amendment)) and (Commencement No. 7) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1101 (C.72))
• The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Commencement No. 1) (England) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/3204 (C.145))
• The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Commencement No. 1) (Northern Ireland) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/930 (C.45))

• Bichard Report
• Every Child Matters
• Welsh Assembly Government Vetting and Barring webpage
• Explanatory notes to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.