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Do I Need An Enhanced DBS Check If I Only Work A Few Times A Month? A Guide

enhanced dbs check

An Enhanced DBS Check can be a vital part of safeguarding for those working with children or vulnerable adults – especially for those who are working with these vulnerable groups every day.

However, what’s the protocol if you work with these groups less frequently?

If you’re unsure how the frequency of your work would affect your eligibility for an Enhanced DBS Check, we’ve put together this guide to help make the process clearer.

Typical Enhanced DBS Check eligibility

Typically an employee will qualify for an Enhanced DBS Check (with a check against the relevant barred list) if they are engaging in ‘regulated activity’ with either children or vulnerable adults.

What is regulated activity?

The term regulated activity refers to a list of activities, places of work and types of activity that, if carried out, could entitle an individual to an Enhanced DBS Check with a further check against either the children or vulnerable adult’s barred list.

Regulated activity when working with children can be determined through the nature of the work (i.e. anyone who is teaching, training, instructing, coaching, caring for or supervising children) or by the location of the work, for example a nursery, school or children’s home.

When working with vulnerable adults, regulated activity is determined through the nature of the activity, such as providing personal or health care. More detailed information about this can be found in our comprehensive guide on DBS Checks for working with vulnerable adults.

Detailed information about regulated activity for either group can be found on the government’s DBS eligibility guidance.

What if this information doesn’t apply to me?

While the above information applies to those who are engaged in regulated activity with vulnerable groups, what about employees who work in locations like schools or nurseries but aren’t engaged in the activity outlined above?

If you aren’t engaging in regulated activity with either children or vulnerable adults, there’s a chance that you may still be eligible for an Enhanced DBS Check.

If an employee is working at a frequency that is at least once a week (or 3 or more times in a 30 day period) in a limited range of establishments then they would be eligible for an Enhanced DBS Check, regardless of it they are engaged in regulated activity.

Do I need an Enhanced DBS Check if I only work a few times a month? A summary

So, how does frequency of work affect an individual’s eligibility for an Enhanced DBS Check?

If an applicant is not engaging in regulated activity but is working in a limited range of establishments at the following frequency (at least):

  • Once a week
  • Three (or more) times in a thirty day period

They will then be eligible for an Enhanced DBS Check.

We hope that this blog has helped if you’ve had any questions concerning you or your employee’s frequency of work in regards to Enhanced DBS Checks.

Be sure to get in touch with us if you’d like any further information. You can apply for a number of DBS Checks through our simple online platform – most checks are completed within 48 hours. Get started now.

Our blogs are advisory in nature and reflect uCheck Limited’s current thinking about best and common practice in the subjects discussed.

The information contained in our blogs have been provided for information purposes only. This information does not constitute legal, professional, or commercial advice. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the content is up to date, useful and accurate, uCheck gives no guarantees, undertakings, or warranties in this regard, or, for any loss or damage caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with reliance on the use of such information.

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