When Do You Need To Get A DBS Barred List Check?
To make sure that employers hire safe people for roles that involve working directly with children or vulnerable adults, DBS Checks are used, along with a check of either the childs or adults DBS barred list.
In this article, we’ll explain what a barred list check is and which roles it is required for.
What Are DBS Barred List Checks?
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) deals with criminal background checks in England Wales, and Disclosure Scotland in Scotland.
As well as processing DBS Checks and producing certificates to reveal details of people’s criminal backgrounds, the DBS also maintains two lists that contain the details of people excluded from working with children or vulnerable adults.
Anybody that appears on a barred list is banned from working in jobs that involve working directly and unsupervised with children or vulnerable adults.
Which Roles Need DBS Barred List Checks?
A check of the adults or childs barred list can only be carried out as part of an Enhanced DBS Check (apart from the case of an Adult First Check).
This means that the job role in question must be eligible for an Enhanced DBS Check. The DBS refers to these roles as ‘regulated activities’. Regulated activities involve working in an unsupervised capacity with children or vulnerable adults, on three or more times within a 30-day period.
Regulated activities with children include the following:
- Teaching, training, coaching, instructing or caring for children in an unsupervised manner.
- Working within a limited range of establishments that include frequent contact with children, such as children’s home or learning environment.
- Healthcare providers – professionals that provide assistance or care directly to children.
- Personal carers and social workers.
- Childminders and foster carers.
- Transporting children in a vehicle.
- Any manager that supervises people engaged in regulated activities.
The above examples also apply to people working with vulnerable adults, and also includes:
- Assisting vulnerable adults with finances and other day-to-day affairs, due to age, illness, or disability.
- Formally appointed to assist with personal care.
Any person involved in any of the types of roles described will need to get an Enhanced DBS Check with a relevant barred list check.
What Are Adult First Checks?
Adult First Checks are a special service that is available from the DBS that allow people applying to work in a regulated activity with vulnerable adults to begin work in advance of obtaining the full Enhanced DBS certificate.
The DBS Adult First check starts with the applicant’s details being checked against the details held on the adults barred list. The result usually takes around 72 hours to complete. Once given the all-clear, the applicant can start working in the role, under supervision, until the full Enhanced DBS Check is processed.
How Are DBS Adult First Checks Carried Out?
As soon as the DBS Check application is submitted with an Adult First Check requested, the DBS will run the details through the adults barred list database to check for a match.
A search of the adults barred list will yield one of the following three results:
- No match exists for this person on the DBS adults barred list – The applicant is allowed to begin working in the job role, as long as they are supervised and not left unattended with vulnerable adults until the DBS certificate is available.
- Please wait for the DBS Certificate before making a recruitment decision regarding this applicant – In this case, the applicant’s details may or may not be present on the barred list. In other words, the check has proved inconclusive, possibly due to similar details to somebody on the list, so it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are barred from working with vulnerable adults. The DBS would like to do further checks before releasing a “no match exists” result.
- The DBS has now completed the disclosure certificate – The result of the full DBS Check is available and the employer can decide whether to recruit the individual based on this.
Please note that DBS Adult First Checks should not be used as a substitute for a full DBS Check. The Adult First Check should only be used when there is an urgent need for the person to begin working in the role, e.g. when staffing levels are very low.
Also, DBS Adult First Checks can only be applied to roles that involve working with vulnerable adults only. If the role also involves working with children (i.e. both adults and children) then a full DBS Check must be processed and the certificate received before the person commences work in a regulated activity.
A Summary of DBS Barred Lists
There are two types of DBS Barred List – one that contains the details of people barred from working with vulnerable adults and another with details of people barred from working with children.
The DBS Barred Lists are a vital part of the criminal background check process, especially for roles that involve safeguarding. If a role is classed as a regulated activity by the DBS then an Enhanced DBS Check with a check of the relevant barred list will be required.
For example, teachers, doctors, and other healthcare staff are likely to need an Enhanced DBS Check with barred list check.
The DBS Adult First Check is available for applicants that need to start as soon as possible in a regulated activity with vulnerable adults, usually due to staffing shortages.
If you have any questions related to DBS Barred List Checks or anything else to do with DBS Checks in general, get in touch with one of our expert advisors today.