If you work in Education, you know that OFSTED ratings are extremely important – having a standardised way of comparing schools can be useful for parents. It is often their first consideration when it comes to choosing a school for their children to attend.
Making sure that staff at schools have regular Ofsted DBS checks performed is critical for schools to ensure that their Ofsted rating doesn’t dip.
Just How Important Are Ofsted DBS Checks in Schools?
Proper safeguarding procedures are the primary consideration of any visiting Ofsted inspector. If a school fails this step, it’s automatically given the lowest grade available – and a result like that is bound to be all over the local papers, village Facebook groups, etc.
As a result, making sure the Ofsted DBS checks are all completed and accurately recorded is the most important single task for schools. And rightly so, ensuring the safety of pupils by implementing the correct safeguarding procedures is a prerequisite for education. According to the law, all staff members at schools and nurseries require an Enhanced DBS check.
Ofsted DBS checks – Problem Areas
We’ve established that these Ofsted DBS checks are essential, Schools (and parents) take this sort of thing very seriously. But what are the most common points of failure for schools when it comes to DBS safeguarding?
Record keeping is the most common issue. Less so for large organisations like schools, but for smaller nurseries (for example) who might not have the budget or space to maintain a dedicated administrative department, keeping record of checks can be difficult.
In these cases, the organisations have usually made all the necessary checks, but haven’t kept a proper record of the results. In these cases, the Ofsted inspector could probably work with the institution to find the records eventually, but that isn’t their job, and they expect better.
Another area that can sometimes cause problems is the period in-between asking for a check for a new member of staff, and them beginning work. It can be tempting for employers to get their staff into work before they’ve seen the employee’s DBS certificate – especially if it’s been delayed and is taking a long time. However, this is illegal, and Ofsted doesn’t take kindly to this behaviour.
Ofsted DBS checks – The Update Service
It can sometimes be quite a challenge to keep all your employees up to date, especially given how frequently some organisations require new Ofsted DBS checks to be performed. If you’re having to request regular DBS checks for your staff, it may well be economical to use the government’s new DBS Update Service.
This service informs employers if/when an employee needs a new DBS check, so they only need to request a new check when an employee has new details on their criminal record, rather than regularly.
Aaron’s Department offers an Automated Update Service Checking System for a small subscription. This is useful because, using only the government’s service, the user has to manually check the status of every registered employee. Our system does this automatically, saving time – especially if your organisation has a lot of staff on the Update Service.
For more details, take a look at our dedicated page: Automatic DBS Service Checking For Employers.
Ofsted DBS Checks – Conclusion
In conclusion, if you are getting DBS checks for school staff, it’s important that their DBS checks are all in order, and properly filed & documented. If this isn’t done, your school could face severe consequences.
Ofsted DBS Checks – Get Yours Now!
At Aaron’s Department, our system makes getting your regular Enhanced Ofsted DBS checks as easy as can be. Our automatic error-checking system saves time and money by flagging incorrectly-filled-out applications before they’re sent to the DBS, and our built-in tracking system lets you see how fast the government is processing the application. This gives you and your new-hires a better idea of when they’ll be able to start.
We know that time is money in situations like these, which is why we process all applications we receive on the day we receive them. If we get an application sent before 4pm, it’ll go to the government that same day – at no extra charge. It’s our fast-track guarantee!
If this sounds like the sort of thing you’re after, you’ve got a few options. You could click the big green button below to register for free, or look at our website for more info first.
You can reach our team of DBS experts at +44 113 877 0171 (we’re available from 8-5, weekdays) or reach us via email at contact@aaronsdepartment.com. We’re happy to help you with any questions you may have.
About The Author
John Schofield-Antoncich
John has processed more applications than days he has been alive, and has become the DBS expert. Got a question? He knows the answer!