FURTHER to your story, “Fears over criminal checks shake-up”

(Echo, Feb 7), we would like to provide clarity on some of the points made.

The responsibility of the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) within the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) is to make the often difficult and complex decisions on who should be barred from working with children and/or vulnerable adults because of the harm they have caused them. We do not run or manage the VBS.

Your article described how the scheme has been at “the centre of a number of controversies, including 12,000 innocent people being labelled paedophiles, violent thugs and thieves because of an error”.

This is completely untrue.

We are awaiting the coalition Government’s conclusion of its review of the VBS. The ISA will continue to do what we and our staff do best – make high-quality decisions to help safeguard vulnerable groups.

Adrian McAllister, Chief Executive, Independent Safeguarding Authority.