SCIE Guide 12: Making referrals to the POVA list
Please note: The information contained in this guide is now out of date and it should be used for reference purposes only. For current information about the Vetting and Barring scheme please visit the Independent Safeguarding Authority website.
Making a POVA list referral - Introduction
Key questions for employers and adult placement managers
- Have you completed the POVA referral form?
- Have you gathered together all of the information required in this form?
- Are documents clearly referenced, signed and dated? Have you kept copies?
- Have you communicated clearly with everyone involved in the referral, including witnesses and local adult protection staff?
Expectations
- Employers and managers should provide information and supporting material to demonstrate their decision that the referred individual is guilty of misconduct in harming a vulnerable adult.
- While employers and managers are not required to comment on an individual’s suitability to work in care positions in future, they are expected to provide information to inform the POVA team and the ISA in making this judgement.
- Referrals should be made using the official referral form with clear cross-referencing to attached documents. Information should be clear and factual, and accompanied by formal statements and supporting evidence.
Practice overview
- Required information is listed in the POVA referral form and guidance.
- The POVA team have no powers of investigation; they rely on the evidence provided by employers and managers to support their referral, which should be robust. If a case goes to an employment tribunal, it will be the employer who must prove that misconduct occurred.
- The quality of the POVA referral is often determined by the quality of the employer’s employment and recording practices.
- Employers and managers are reminded that this is a legal process that requires good evidence to a civil standard. The decision to list will be determined by the quality of the evidence provided. It is not sufficient to write or email simply asking the POVA team to list an individual who has been dismissed.
