Do you need a DBS check for volunteers in schools? As with most things DBS, it depends. In this blog, we’ll briefly go over whether a DBS check for volunteers in schools is required in your situation.
What Is Regulated Activity?
This term will be important in determining whether you need a DBS check for volunteers in schools. If your volunteer meets any of the definitions below, then they are performing a Regulated Activity and require an Enhanced DBS check:
- Teaching, training, advising, or supervising children.
- This must be done 4 or more days within a 30-day period or overnight to count as Regulated Activity.
- Driving a vehicle for children.
- This must be done 4 or more days within a 30-day period or overnight to count as Regulated Activity.
- Moderating an online service used mainly by children.
- This must be done 4 or more days within a 30-day period to count as Regulated Activity.
- Providing healthcare or personal care.
- There is no “minimum day” limit with this, it is always considered Regulated Activity.
If you would like some extra detail, this official government PDF is a useful source of information about Regulated Activity.
Will The Volunteer Be Supervised?
If your volunteer will be supervised by others, such as teachers or parents, then they do not need a DBS check unless they are providing healthcare or personal care, as we’ll discuss next.
Will Your Volunteer Be Providing Care?
If your volunteer will be providing relevant personal care: e.g. dressing, washing, healthcare, or anything of that nature, they’ll need an Enhanced DBS check with a Children’s Barred List check, regardless of how frequently they’ll be carrying out the work.
Will The Volunteer Be On School Grounds?
If your volunteer is working on school grounds, this doesn’t necessarily mean they require a DBS check.
You may be aware that schools are a “Specified Place”, meaning that some roles that don’t directly involve children are still classed as Regulated Activity due to where they take place.
But this only applies to permanent, non-volunteer, ancillary staff such as cleaners and gardeners.
How Frequently Does The Volunteer Have The Opportunity For Contact With Children?
If your volunteer will have the opportunity for contact with children 4 or more times within a 30-day period, or at any time between 2:00am and 6:00am, then they’ll need an Enhanced DBS check with a Children’s Barred List check.
For example, a parent supervising on a week-long residential trip might need an Enhanced DBS check with a Children’s Barred List check, but a parent supervising a school disco for a night wouldn’t need any DBS check.
Do You Need A DBS Check Provider?
At Aaron’s Department, we process lots of volunteer DBS checks every day! Our online platform is user-friendly, error-proof, and gets fast results at an affordable price. If you’d like to read more about what we can offer you, visit the links below:
Summary: Getting A DBS Check For Volunteers In Schools
In summary, you’ll have to judge your school volunteer DBS checks on a case-by-case basis, but that’s OK! You’ve got our handy guide to help you, and if you would like any extra advice, feel free to get in touch with us at contact@aaronsdepartment.com, and we’ll get right back to you.
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Further Reading
If you’ve found our post, “Getting A DBS Check For Volunteers In Schools” useful, then these articles might also be of interest to you:
- What is the 3-Month Rule for DBS checks in schools?
- What are Specified Places?
- Who pays for a DBS check?
About The Author
Matthew Dugdale
Matthew is our go-to when it comes to all things related to Recruitment & DBS checks. His experience and expertise helps make sure that everyone gets the correct level of check.