Parent volunteers asked for 2 safeguarding references - anyone know why?

[Wigeon]

So my DDs schools (2 schools) have now asked every parent volunteer for two safeguarding references (in addition to a DBS check which they'd already required). They say this is because of new Department of Education regulations. However, I can't find any information on the web about this. This guidance document seems to be one of the main things from the DfE but doesn't say anything about references for volunteers.

The form the referee has to fill in asks if they have any concern about the parent volunteer's suitability for working with children, or if there is any record of misconduct or capability that concerns the welfare or safety of children. One school doesn't stipulate who the referees can be. The other school says it should be a professional, e.g. doctor, teacher.

Can anyone link me to where this has come from? I'm surprised I can't find anything at all on the web because presumably it affects thousands of parents who volunteer in schools in England (and Wales?).

I can see it can be difficult for some people to get two professional's references. I have nothing to hide, but being a foreigner, I don't have any professional friends!

I was thinking this only this week, after helping my just turned 18 yr old to open a bank account. We're ok, because both dh and I work as "professionals" who are counted as being able to sign these things, but there must be millions of people out there who just don't count any "professionals" amongst people they know well. How do they manage to get passports, open bank accounts, etc. ?

Not all will be able to get passports or bank accounts. I think over a million don't have a bank account?

I have my own country's passport, I don't need reference here. Also I already have 2 different bank account in 2 different bank in England. I didn't know it was a problem!?

Wow slightly - that's a lot isn't it? I thought everyone would need a bank account these days. Must be so hard to start out in life for some young adults

It is a lot isn't it? Easy to take stuff like banking, internet access, etc for granted, I would not have thought so many would be without that nowadays.

Am thinking of volunteering at DS's school. I hope they don't require two "professionals" - passport only needed one to sign the photos. Plus, asking someone to sign "yes I know X and this is their picture" is a lot less work than asking someone to fill out a reference form.

How interesting! I have just been asked to provide exactly this for a school volunteering activity that I have brrn doing weekly for over 4 years and for which I have a dbs. I think it could be quite a problem - I don't feel at all comfortable asking someone to give a view on whether I am suitable to work with children - I don't see why anyone would be willing to sign a document about that sort of thing nowadays. However would they know? And why should they take any responsibility for that sort of thing

It is nothing like passport references where all one is asserting is that the person is the one in the photo.

Getting everyone in the volunteer pool to sign off everyone else has appeal but what if someone does do something awful - would referees be questioned as to why they supported them and why?

Ah, I wonder if we are in the same county, Michaelahpurple? I think the thing that gets me is that I am really not sure how asking a couple of my professional friends actually provides any genuine reassurance to the school that I am not a risk to children. I think it provides false comfort to the school that they've got references for all the parent volunteers, so they've reduced some risk. When to me it feels like it provides minimal assurance.

One of the friends acting as my referee pointed out that I gave the forms back to the school, not the hee (as would be usual for job application referees, where the referee sends the reference straight back to the employer). So if I was intent on getting up to no good, presumably I would just fill in the reference form myself with a fake signature!

My kids schools has just implemented same policy. It is causing a huge drop in volunteer numbers, which given the need for more (to cover for funding gaps in a number of areas) is concerning and, as others have said, I have yet to see any evidence that this sort of process would have stopped any previous safeguarding issue or could prevent a future incident. If anyone can link to info or data that suggests otherwise please share.