A Guide To DBS Checks For Workers or Volunteers Assisting Homeless People
If you work with homeless people, or you’re considering doing so, you may have questions surrounding DBS check requirements.
Whether you will need to get a criminal record check carried out through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) depends on the role and the people involved.
To help avoid any confusion, we’ve created this brief guide that outlines some of the key things to consider when it comes to DBS checks for homeless support workers.
DBS Checks for Vulnerable Adults Guidance
The main deciding factor as to whether a role involving vulnerable adults is eligible for a DBS check is whether it qualifies as a ‘regulated activity’ or not.
Any role that is considered to be a regulated activity automatically requires an enhanced DBS check with a barred list check. A regulated activity is defined as a role that involves frequent and direct contact with vulnerable adults or children.
But how do we define what a ‘vulnerable adult’ is?
A vulnerable adult is somebody that is somehow impaired or restricted by a disability, illness, or their age. With this definition in mind, homeless people are not always classified as vulnerable adults, unless they have an illness (either physical or mental), or they are disabled or elderly.
Therefore, a person who works in a supporting role with homeless people may require an enhanced DBS check if they support people that are incapacitated in one of the ways described above.
What is a ‘regulated activity’?
A regulated activity that involves vulnerable adults can be defined in the following ways:
- Provision of support for daily activities required due to illness, disability, or old age.
- Care for vulnerable adults including the provision of health, personal, or social care.
- Teaching or instructing vulnerable adults on an unsupervised basis.
- Transporting vulnerable adults while unaccompanied.
DBS Check Requirements for Homeless Support Workers
If an individual works with homeless people that are considered to be vulnerable adults in a way that meets the definition of a regulated activity, e.g. providing hands-on care, then they will need to get an enhanced DBS check with an adult’s barred list check.
People that work in a homeless shelter or hostel may not require a DBS check if they do not provide one-to-one care or assistance or any other type of regulated activity.
Discover More About DBS Checks
If you work with homeless people or you are considering applying for such a role, we can help you to decide whether a DBS check is required or not. Get in touch with one of our experts today to help you navigate the guidelines and regulations.