2.3.3 DBS Checks (England and Wales)

Overview

Safeguarding children and young people is everyone’s responsibility. When organising educational visits, it is important to ensure that all adults working with pupils have been appropriately vetted.

DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks help schools confirm that staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children and that safeguarding arrangements are in place.

When a DBS Check Is Required

Staff or volunteers who work in Regulated Activity must hold an Enhanced DBS check with a children’s barred list check. See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-guidance-leaflets/regulated-activity-with-children.

These checks apply to people involved in regulated activity, such as teaching, training, supervising, and caring for children.

Establishment Staff

Teachers, teaching assistants and other school staff are already engaged in regulated activity and should already hold the appropriate Enhanced DBS check with a children’s barred list check. In most cases, no additional DBS check is required specifically for an educational visit.

Parents and Volunteers

If a person teaches, trains, instructs, cares for or supervises children often enough, or overnight, they will be in regulated activity with children even if someone else supervises them. This means an organisation will be able to ask for an Enhanced DBS check in the child workforce with a Children’s Barred List check.

The work is done often enough, or overnight, if it occurs:

• on more than 3 days in any 30-day period*
• once overnight, between 2am and 6am

*across all their work/volunteering with children.

Parents or volunteers helping on a one-off/occasional day visit basis, and who are fully supervised by school staff, may not need a DBS check.

Supervision

Any adult without the appropriate DBS check must be supervised at all times by a suitably vetted member of staff.

Supervision should be close enough to ensure pupils’ safety and to prevent unsupervised access.

External Providers and Agency Staff

When working with outdoor providers, contractors or agency staff:

• The provider or agency is responsible for completing DBS and employment checks
• The school should obtain written assurance that these checks have been carried out
• Identity and credentials should be verified where appropriate
• Individuals should not work unsupervised with pupils unless safeguarding checks are confirmed

If You Are Unsure

If you are uncertain whether a DBS check is required, seek advice from your Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), senior leadership team or the DBS before the visit takes place.

Clear safeguarding arrangements help ensure that visits remain safe, supportive and well managed for everyone involved.