If there is an opportunity to enter into a relationship with a vulnerable adult or child, then you should be eligible to apply for a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. However, the law does not require it. It is important to carefully consider whether monitoring is necessary or if other safeguards provide adequate protection. Only certain volunteer functions and activities are eligible for review, and it is a crime to request a check from DBS if the position isn't eligible for one.
DBS checks should not be used simply to check boxes “just in case”. These activities were defined with the intention of excluding volunteer functions whenever possible, so supervised volunteering with children generally do not fall into this category. If the tasks undertaken by a volunteer fall into any of these categories, the organization may request improved verification and a comparison with the corresponding DBS list of prohibited tasks. This means that volunteers do not have to perform the role three or more times in a 30-day period or between 02:00 and 06:00 hours, but rather that they have the possibility of contacting children before they can be examined. It can help organizations where volunteers participate determine if a person is a suitable candidate for the position they are applying for.
When volunteers participate in regulated activity, identified organizations can request an enhanced DBS with a checklist of prohibited lists. For example, in the case of voluntary inmates, volunteering can take place in prison or in the community while the inmate is released one day. The DBS now provides a simple tool to help organizations decide if they are allowed to test functions. If you represent an organization that recruits volunteers, you may need to request that potential candidates request a check from DBS. Organizations need to take responsibility for their volunteers in the same way as they would for full-time staff.
The DBS Code of Practice states that disclosures should not be kept for more than six months, except in exceptional circumstances. As an example, an educational worker who volunteers at a museum who supervises children, but who volunteers only occasionally (for example, once a week) would be entitled to greater outreach, while a museum store volunteer who volunteered every day would not have the right to do so, despite the likely presence of children. It can be difficult for organizations to determine when it is appropriate to check the criminal record of volunteers. DBS England and Wales provides a basic verification service if the person lives or works in England or Wales. There may be some ambiguity about this, so if a volunteer were to request a standard or improved DBS check and subsequently did not meet the criteria, the DBS could recover administration costs. Basic DBS checks cost 23 pounds sterling regardless of whether the applicant is a volunteer or not, as they can be requested for any job position.
