The regulation of people working in schools and with young people has been a hot topic of late, but unions welcomed the latest revision to the government's Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS).
Originally, there were concerns that the VBS would dissuade volunteers from working in schools and helping on excursions and sporting events, which would have been hugely detrimental to children and teachers.
In December, the Education Secretary Ed Balls confirmed that the government has accepted all of Chief Adviser on the Safety of Children and Chair of the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) Sir Roger Singleton's recommendations for the scheme.
Mr Balls had asked him to review the system to ensure a balance was struck between those who have to register for the scheme due to frequent contact with children and those who do not.
As a result of Sir Roger's recommendations, two million fewer adults will be required to register with the ISA, with the estimated number falling from 11 million to nine million.
In situations where organisations such as schools, clubs or groups decide which adults should work with their children, the requirement to register with VBS will apply, subject to the frequent and intensive contact criteria.
Frequent contact will defined as working with children once a week or more, compared with the once a month criterion currently in place. If volunteers work with children at least four days in one month or overnight, then they will be classed as having frequent contact.
Volunteers or paid staff who go into multiple schools and work with different groups of children will not be required to register with the ISA unless their contact with the same young people is defined as frequent or intensive.
Sir Roger also recommended that the minimum age of registration for young people should be changed so that 16, 17 and 18-year-olds in education will not need to sign up for the scheme.
There will also be various exemptions from the scheme following the ISA Chair's review. Overseas visitors bringing groups of children to the UK, for international camps or the Olympics, for example, will get a three-month immunity from the scheme for the work they do while in the country.
In addition, exchange visits which last less than 28 days, where parents from the foreign country accept responsibility for selection of the family hosting their child, will also be regarded as private arrangements, therefore not requiring registration.
Similarly, private arrangements between parents and friends will continue to be operate outside the scheme. A recent survey by the Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations found that three out of four parents and guardians believe that individuals working with young people on a regular basis should be required to register with the ISA when the parents themselves are not personally making the decision as to who is caring for their children.
Mr Balls said that a robust VBS which prevents people who are known to be a threat to young people is vital to the safety of children in this country.
"But we also need to make sure that we draw the line in the right place and that we do not interfere in private arrangements that are rightly made between friends and family," he added.
"I am sure that when we have implemented today's thoughtful and considered recommendations we will have a scheme that offers protection without being unnecessarily burdensome," Mr Balls continued.
The government still plans to roll out the scheme at the same time as was originally intended. This means that in July this year, new entrants and employees looking to work or volunteer with "vulnerable" groups can start to become ISA registered.
From November 2010, they will be required to do so before they can work with children, then in April 2011 existing workers will have to join the VBS.
Dr Mary Bousted, General Secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, welcomed the revisions, saying Sir Roger's recommendations were sensible.
"However, we still have major concerns about the scheme, particularly the duplication of running a Criminal Records Bureau and ISA scheme alongside one another," she added.
"We are unhappy that there is still no right of appeal in person for anyone who is barred by the scheme - this seems to go against the laws of natural justice," she continued.
Christine Blower General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, also welcomed the announcement.
"This is a step forward in developing a robust but fair framework for child protection," she said.
"We are also pleased that the government has recognised that it needs to make changes to the scheme which would have had the unintended consequence of discouraging the involvement of authors and others who have so much to offer to school groups, as well as deterring parents from volunteering with school activities, which would damage pupils' access to school trips and exchanges," Mr Blower concluded.