Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

Briefing

6 February 2013

Update will cover:

• Changes from 10 September 2012

• Changes from 1 December 2012

• Volunteers

• Future changes

From September

• New definition of “regulated activity”

• Introduction of a minimum age for DBS checks

• Locally held intelligence will be subject to a more rigorous test

• Repeal of “controlled activity”, registration and continuous monitoring

Not changing:• You must make appropriate referrals to

DBS• You must not engage someone in

regulated activity you know has been barred

• Everybody within the pre-September definition of regulated activity will remains eligible for enhanced DBS checks whether or not they fall within the new definition

New definition of regulated activity for childreni) Unsupervised activities: teach, train,

instruct, care for or supervise children, or provide advice / guidance on well-being, or drive a vehicle only for children:

ii) Work for a limited range of establishments (‘specified places’), with opportunity for contact, for example schools, children's homes, childcare premises.

New definition continues:• Work under (i) or (ii) is Regulated Activity only

if done regularly. Regular means carried out by the same person frequently (once a week or more often), or on 4 or more days in a 30-day period (or in some cases, overnight).

• Relevant personal care, for example washing or dressing; or health care by or supervised by a professional, even if done once.

• Registered childminding and foster-carers

No longer regulated activity - volunteers

Activity supervised at reasonable level does not require a DBS check providing:

• there is supervision by a person in who is in regulated activity:

• the supervision must be regular and day to day:

• The supervision must be “reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure the protection of children”

No longer regulated activity - volunteers continuesConsiderations

• age of the children

• number of children that the volunteer is working with

• are others involved in the supervision?

• how vulnerable are the children?

• how many volunteers are supervised by the nominated person?

No longer regulated activity continues – school governors

• All “positions” removed, e.g. governors

• What if the governor volunteers in school?

From December

• The work of the CRB and Independent Safeguarding Authority merged into the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

• The DBS will deliver the functions of both organisations

• New DBS application forms will be phased in to use

Future changes and timescales

• Portability

• Online updating

• Single certification

Support for schools

Workshops covering

• ID validation changes

• New forms

• When to check

Any questions?