A Guide to DBS Checks for Dance Schools
If you are planning to work as a dance teacher at a dance school, then you’ll almost certainly be working with children.
Most jobs that involve working with children ask for a DBS Check and working at a dance school is no exception.
The problem is that there are 3 different levels of DBS Check – Basic, Standard, and Enhanced and it’s not always immediately obvious which one is the most appropriate for a given role.
In this article, we’ll cover all the main things you need to know about DBS Checks for dance school employees.
Regulated Activities In Dance Schools
If a dance school employee or volunteer is working with children or vulnerable adults, then there is a chance that they are engaged in something called a “regulated activity”.
A regulated activity is a role that is described by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) as an activity that involves working with children in an unsupervised capacity and on a frequent basis. Any person working in a regulated activity is required by law to get an Enhanced DBS Check and barred list check, which are the highest possible criminal background checks available.
Most roles in a dance school are considered to be regulated activities, as dance teachers will often work unsupervised with children on more than three occasions within a 30 day period, which is the eligibility criteria set out by the DBS.
Are Any Dance School Employees Eligible for A Lower Level DBS Check?
Although most dance school workers will be eligible for an Enhanced DBS Check with children’s barred list check (the highest level of DBS Check possible), there are some roles that are not required to get such a high level of check.
For example a dance school employee who deals with administrative tasks only and does not interact with children will most likely only need a Basic DBS Check. DBS Checks for people in England and Wales are issued by the Disclosure and Barring service, and Disclosure Scotland for people looking to work in Scotland.
A Basic DBS Check is available to any individual aged 16 years or over and reveals any unspent convictions that exist on a person’s criminal record.
Who Regulates Dance Schools?
As most roles within a dance school are regulated activities, they require an Enhanced DBS Check with barred list check. To submit an Enhanced DBS Check, the organisation needs to be registered with the DBS.
Dance schools are regulated by two main bodies, the International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA) and the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD). Both of these regulatory bodies are able to help dance schools to process and submit higher level DBS Checks – Standard DBS Checks or Enhanced DBS Checks.
A barred list check is also required for regulated activity roles, which searches through a register of people that are banned from working with vulnerable adults or children in all circumstances due to the nature of past crimes.
Summary of DBS Checks for Dance Schools
When requesting DBS Checks for job applicants at a dance school, the person in charge of recruiting first needs to decide what level of check the role is eligible for.
The DBS provides information about different levels of check and eligibility criteria on their website.
Alternatively, we have experts on hand to help you with any queries about DBS Checks and eligibility criteria, so get in touch today.
