The Nottingham Evening Post’s In Safe Hands campaign has scored the first victory in its fight to stop abusers working with vulnerable adults.

The paper is campaigning for mandatory police checks to be introduced on everyone working with vulnerable adults in care homes, in the same way that people working with children go through routine police checks.

At present the law requires only that references and employment histories are checked.

Now Nottingham-based national charity the Ann Craft Trust has thrown its weight behind the campaign and has pledged to target employment agencies to train them about safer recruiting practices.

The trust runs training courses for adults working in the field, including courses about providing safe services for users and safe employment practices – but until now it has not targeted employment agencies.

Acting director for the trust, Deborah Kitson, said: “We fully support the Post’s campaign for compulsory police checks. It is something we have been fighting for too.

“The vast majority of agency and volunteer staff are great but we have to build-in safeguards.”