A major Government programme aimed at preventing another Soham murder tragedy is at "serious risk" of going wrong because of problems at the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), it has been revealed
The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) will vet millions of people, including teachers, volunteers and school bus drivers.
Every applicant will have to go through a criminal record check, but the CRB is in danger of failing to deliver its part of the programme.
An internal audit report warned: "The agency recognises that there remains a significant risk to delivering its part of the ISA Programme effectively and will be giving priority to addressing that risk in the coming months ahead."
The assessment only came to light when the auditor was quoted in the CRB's annual report.
A Home Office spokesman said "good progress" had been made since the report earlier this year.
"This report covers the period up until the end of March this year. Since April the CRB and its partners, have made good progress in developing the infrastructure for the Vetting and Barring Scheme.
"The CRB was a party to, and agreed the go-live date of October 2009. We continue to work closely with our partners and are confident that everything will be in place for that go-live date next year."
The scheme was designed to prevent someone like caretaker Ian Huntley who murdered schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, being given a job at a school despite allegations of rape and indecent assault against him.
The ISA will hold one list of those barred from working with children and another from working with vulnerable adults.
