Youth Clubs and Youth Centre Workers DBS Check Guide
In this article, we will go through and explain the different roles and responsibilities that youth centres and clubs provide and whether they require a DBS Check. In youth centres and clubs, it is more than probable that a member of staff will come into contact with children. For that reason, it may seem obvious that an Enhanced DBS Check will be necessary but in fact it is not always needed.
Are DBS Checks required for youth centre staff?
When it comes to youth centres, DBS Checks are treated differently to children’s centres. In a children’s centre, an Enhanced Check would be suitable. However, in youth centres it is not always the case. The following act was passed to legislate and give guidance about how to get DBS Checks in youth centres:
The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 states:
Any employment by a youth club, local authority or other body which is concerned with the promotion of leisure or recreational activities for persons under the age of 18, being employment which is of such a kind as to enable the holder to have access to such persons in the course of his normal duties.
The extract above, means that this act applies to anyone that is a part of the youth centre but does not engage with the children as a part of their role, e.g. admin staff. This act has since been removed. So, this means that the secondary roles within a usual youth centre only require Basic DBS Checks but this also depends on regulated activity.
Does a regulated activity affect eligibility for DBS Checks?
A DBS Check level would be affected by whether a regulated activity is taking place within a role. This means that if a member of staff will engage in a regulated activity as a part of their role then an Enhanced DBS Check would be suitable including a check of the children’s barred list.
A person who is listed on the barred list is prohibited from engaging in a regulated activity with children. This could include activities like teaching, training, caring, advising children if unsupervised or driving a vehicle used to carry children.
A member of staff could apply for an Enhanced DBS Check including a check of the barred list if they carry out a regulated activity at least three times within a 30-day time period.
Youth club worker DBS checks
It is important to note that youth clubs do not always take place within youth centres so the Check completely relies on the roles and responsibilities of the staff member. As mentioned previously, any staff member that engages in a regulated activity is suitable for an Enhanced Check with a check of the barred list.
Youth centres and clubs DBS checks
As with any other job, if a regulated activity is taking place then Enhanced DBS Checks will be necessary. It also depends on how often they do the role and where it is done.
If you want to find out more about DBS checks and how they apply to youth centre and youth club workers, get in touch with one of our expert team today.
