The child protection system is being reformed

Holyrood's education committee said Disclosure Scotland must cut the time taken to deal with applications.

Its target is to process 90% within 14 days - but the committee found delays of up to 12 weeks in some cases.

Ministers said they shared the concerns and said staff numbers had been doubled to tackle the backlog.

Disclosure Scotland was set up to give information to potential employers and the voluntary sector on the criminal history of applicants.

'Vital role'

It issues certificates which either give details of a person's convictions or state that they have none.

Committee convener Robert Brown said that the organisation played a "vital role" in protecting children.

"It has to operate thoroughly but it also has to operate quickly," he said.

There are indications that the backlog is being tackled but more needs to be done Scottish Executive spokeswoman

"Our committee is insistent that ministers must ensure that turnaround times decrease quickly so that Disclosure Scotland meets its target of processing 90% of applications within 14 days.

"We are also concerned that this target neglects 10% of disclosure applications, and propose that for these there should be a time limit of one month, after which clearance should not be given unless very clear and robust procedures are in place to protect children and vulnerable adults."

He added that the committee would maintain pressure on the executive to ensure that Disclosure Scotland performs at "the highest possible level".

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Executive said: "Ministers share the committee's concerns about the need for sustained performance improvements to the disclosure process.

"There have been problems dealing with the volume of work including the accumulation of a backlog.

Monitor closely

"Ministers have authorised the recruitment of additional Disclosure Scotland staff from 64 to 132. There are indications that the backlog is being tackled but more needs to be done."

She said ministers would monitor this very closely over coming months.

Those sentiments were echoed by Disclosure Scotland, which confirmed that the new staff had already been recruited.

"A number of new measures are being put in place to address the overall service and the backlog is being tackled," said a spokeswoman.

She added that applicants could help by ensuring that forms were completed accurately and including the correct fee.

One of the biggest challenges in protecting children is ensuring that all the organisations who touch children's lives work together Robert Brown Committee chairman

The committee's report also voiced concerns over a national shortage of social workers.

MSPs said long-term initiatives had been introduced to address the problem, but that there were still staffing difficulties in the short to medium-term.

They commended the "steady progress" being made by the executive in reforming Scotland's child protection system.

However, they said it was too early to judge the success of the overall reform programme.

Mr Brown said that there needed to be "a real change on the ground".

Institutional boundaries

"One of the biggest challenges in protecting children is ensuring that all the organisations who touch children's lives work together," he said.

"There are thousands of dedicated and motivated people in a variety of organisations working to protect children. We have to make sure that the effectiveness of their efforts is maximised.

"Children falling between the cracks because of institutional boundaries is not acceptable."

The executive spokeswoman welcomed the recognition of the work being carried out to improve child protection.