DBS checks are essential for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, mainly if a person’s role involves direct contact. Any DBS check can disclose valuable information about an applicant’s criminal history, be it Basic, Standard or Enhanced.
DBS Check for Part-Time Workers
DBS Check for Part-Time WorkersFor anyone directly working with children or vulnerable adults, they would need to apply for an Enhanced DBS check. This check discloses an applicant’s spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, plus any information that the local police force deems necessary. This Enhanced DBS would be required alongside a Barred List check, if a candidate is working in, for example, a school, nursery, healthcare profession, essentially anything that involves direct contact.
But what is the procedure for people working with these groups less frequently?
If you’re unsure whether the frequency of your work would affect your Enhanced DBS eligibility criteria, this guide should hopefully help you.
DBS Eligibility
A prospective candidate will qualify for an Enhanced DBS check – as well as the relevant Barred List check – if they are taking part in a ‘regulated activity’ with the specific vulnerable group.
What is a Regulated Activity?
Regulated activities can either be determined through the nature or location of the work that’s being carried out. Any regulated activity could be a specific place of work or job, that could entitle someone to apply for an Enhanced DBS, with the relevant Children’s or Adults’ Barred List.
When working with children, a regulated activity could be either:
- Determined through the work’s nature – for example, anyone teaching, coaching, supervising or caring for children.
- Determine through the location – in other words, a school, nursery, children’s home, pre-school or playgroup.
When working with vulnerable adults, regulated activities are determined through the nature of the activity itself. For example, if an applicant is expected to provide personal or healthcare to vulnerable adults, this is considered a regulated activity, and that person must apply for Enhanced disclosure.
Therefore, regardless of how often you’ll be working with vulnerable groups, if you’re carrying out the regulated activities listed above, you’ll be eligible for an Enhanced DBS application. For a full list of regulated activities for children or the vulnerable, please refer to the official Disclosure and Barring Service website.
What if a Regulated Activity doesn’t Apply to me?
While the above information applies to anybody engaged in regulated activities, there are still questions about those that aren’t actually carrying out these activities, but working in the same types of locations.
For example, teaching would be a regulated activity if a teacher is working in a school or nursery, but what about those working in administration or clerical roles? In other words, roles that do not involve direct contact.
If you aren’t engaging with either children or vulnerable adults, you may still be eligible for an Enhanced DBS check application.
If employees are working in certain circumstances, in a limited range of establishments, that entitles them to an Enhanced DBS check. The regulated activity rule does not apply in this case, if the candidate will be working either:
- Once per week
- Three times or more in a 30-day period
To summarise, the frequency of work does slightly impact an individual’s DBS check eligibility criteria. If they are not engaging in regulated activity but are working in a specific establishment either once per week or three or more times in a 30-day period, they will also be allowed to apply for an Enhanced DBS check.
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