Ed Balls as clear as mud

A few months ago I heard about the new Vetting and Barring scheme which is to be implemented at some time this month. It is to do with volunteers and making sure that there is some kind of check on them as an additional means of security following the Soham murders. We have in place a few checks already for people in employment but with voluteers there were stories going round that groups of parents could not have agreements with each other to take their children to organised activities.

I was told a couple of days ago that parents could have agreements without having checks. I looked it up and it is when these parents work voluntarily for an organisation that they must comply with the new legislation.

Then I saw the news today (12th October). Ed Balls wants "to make clear that reciprocal childcare arrangements between parents where there is no payment involved should not be a matter for regulation" and "I have agreed today with Ofsted that with immediate effect, this will be beyond the scope of their childcare inspections and will make this crystal clear by changing the regulations in the coming period."

Now things are not crystal clear to me. If the arrangements were not with parents but with friends or relatives then I now presume that Ofsted will look for this in their inspection. If this is "with immediate effect" does this mean that it was different yesterday? It sounds like things were not clear previously and I don't think things have improved.

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