DBS Checks in Schools, Colleges and Other Education Settings
Ofsted are responsible for enforcing standards and safeguarding in education settings. Ofsted guidance states that education providers need to vet any staff to an appropriate level before they can start work.
DBS Checks are a key part of this vetting process.
DBS Checks in education settings: Safer Recruitment
DBS Checks are a necessary part of recruitment in the education sector. These checks provide schools with the information they need to make safe recruitment decisions.
Schools, colleges and other education providers have a statutory responsibility under the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance to ensure that the right DBS Checks are carried out.
In most cases, the work done by staff, volunteers or even visitors is classed as regulated activity. This means that they need an Enhanced DBS Check carried out before being on site.
Regulated Activity on School sites
Regulated activity is work involving children or vulnerable adults that a barred person cannot do. This is because they may pose a threat to those groups.
To be eligible to carry out an Enhanced DBS Check with a check of one or more Barred Lists, the applicant must be carrying out regulated activity. In education settings, regulated activity generally falls under one of the following definitions:
Individuals who provide teaching, training or instruction to children on a regular basis.
Individuals who provide care for or supervision of children.
Individuals who provide advice or guidance wholly or mainly to children and this specifically relates to their emotional, educational or physical well-being.
Most roles on school or college sites meet at least one of these definitions. This makes most staff eligible for an Enhanced DBS Check with a Child Barred Lists search included.
The above list is by no means exhaustive and each role should be taken on a case-by-case basis. You can find the full guidance here.
Contractors on school sites
People carrying out contract work on a school site such as builders, plumbers and IT technicians aren’t necessarily carrying out regulated activity. However, if they are on a school site unsupervised on more than 3 days in a 30-day period, they require an Enhanced DBS Check with a barred list search carried out.
Do volunteers need DBS Checks?
If a volunteers role meets any of the criteria outlined above, then they require an Enhanced DBS Check to be carried out.
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) charge a significantly reduced fee for volunteers. This means we can process Volunteer DBS Checks for £18.50 per check.
What checks should be done on school governors?
Since 2016, it has been compulsory for all school governors to have an Enhanced DBS Check carried out. On top of this, a Section 128 Check should be considered.
Section 128 Checks see whether someone has been banned from the management or governance of schools. Individuals served with a Section 128 Direction cannot serve on the school board or be part of the senior management team in academies.
Academies and independent schools must carry out section 128 checks for:
Trust members and trustees
Individuals who sit on committees or local governing bodies with delegated responsibilities
Staff engaged in management positions.
Management positions usually mean headteachers and deputy or assistant headteachers. However, other positions may also require the check dependent on their responsibilities.
Maintained schools should also carry out a section 128 check for school governors. This is because a person prevented from managing an independent school by a section 128 direction, is also disqualified from being a governor of a maintained school.
For maintained schools, these checks are not mandatory.
When processing DBS Checks, a Section 128 Check can be requested within the check itself. This information is then provided on the DBS Certificate. There is no additional charge for this.
DBS Check Renewal
There are no specific rules around when DBS Checks should be renewed in the education sector. Best practice is to carry out renewal DBS Checks every 3-years.
Alternatively, encouraging staff to sign up to the DBS Update Service can save time and money on this process.
The Update Service is an annual subscription service run by the DBS. DBS Certificate holders can register to this service for £13 a year. This service then keeps their certificate information updated on the DBS’s online system.
Employers can then run regular status checks to see if any new information has been added to the system. This removes the hassle of conducting additional DBS Checks.
Summary
The majority of roles in the education sector require an Enhanced DBS Check with a search of the Child’s Barred List. However, each role should be treated on a case-by-case basis.
If you need any advice or information on what DBS Checks you need for your organisation, you can get in touch here.