All workers operating in Regulated Activity with children or vulnerable adults require Enhanced DBS checks. This is a legal requirement that all employers must comply with to help safeguard vulnerable groups.
In childcare, Regulated Activity refers to providing healthcare, personal care, or social care – even if it happens only once. It also includes any unsupervised, direct work with children, such as care supervision, teaching, training, mentoring, or advising (this is not an exhaustive list). For these activities to qualify, they must take place on more than three days within a 30‑day period.
It is a criminal offence for an organisation knowingly to employ a barred individual in Regulated Activity, and it is also an offence for a barred person to seek or undertake such work.
This requirement has been made all the more apparent following the recent case of a nursery worker in Leeds who was jailed for the possession of indecent images of children.
Advice for childcare providers
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children in your care, we strongly recommend completing a full, Enhanced DBS check with a Barred Lists check on all employees, where legally permitted.
Some employees may use the DBS update service – a subscription service that allows employers to carry out status checks to see if Standard or Enhanced DBS certificates are still current, and allows a certificate to be carried from role to role, provided the job is in the same workforce, at the same DBS level.
It’s important to remember that this tool is not infallible. Employers should complete additional checks to help safeguard against overlooked information.
There is currently no legal requirement or DBS-mandated renewal period for DBS checks. However, many organisations adopt a rechecking policy. If you are regulated by an organisation such as OFSTED or the CQC, we recommend checking their guidance to confirm how often DBS checks should be renewed for existing staff members.
Why strong DBS checks matter in childcare
In March 2026, a man working in a nursery in Leeds was jailed for two years and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for ten years for the possession of indecent images of children. Despite his arrest and subsequent release on bail in May 2025 Kristian Parry, 26, managed to secure work at another nursery only eight miles away.
The BBC report explained that ‘the nurseries involved confirmed they had run DBS checks on Parry […] but these could have been via its “update service”’. Without knowing the full recruitment and vetting processes undertaken, it’s not clear precisely what information was available to employers, however, the case highlights the critical importance of maintaining robust safeguarding and recruitment procedures.
Finding support
It’s no secret that the early years sector is under intense pressure due to staffing shortages and rising costs. Candidates with previous childcare experience are highly sought after – but thorough checks must be completed each and every time to maintain watertight security.
Enhanced DBS checks provide information on:
- Spent or unspent convictions
- Cautions
- Warnings or reprimands
- Other relevant details held by the applicant’s local police force
The national average turnaround time of an Enhanced DBS check by the DBS – as of April 2026 – is 13 days. But many applications take significantly longer, especially for people who have moved a lot, or who have previous employment in highly regulated sectors such as the armed forces.
With early years establishments wishing to fill vacancies as quickly as possible, these delays can be costly. That’s why, at uCheck, we’re proud that our average turnaround time for Enhanced DBS checks is just nine and a half days, helping get the right candidates onboarded as quickly and safely as possible.
If you’re concerned about safeguarding and are looking to recheck employees, get in touch today – our team are here to help.
