If you’re working from your own home address it’s important to follow the necessary safeguarding protocols if your position requires a DBS Check.
It can be a grey area to consider which roles and activities are eligible for a home-based position check.
If you’re unsure whether you require a home-based position check, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide.
What do we mean by a home-based position check?
A home-based position check is an additional check that works in tandem with an enhanced DBS.
A role is considered a home-based position if:
- The applicant carries out some or all of their work with children or adults from the place where the applicant lives
Or
- They live in the household of someone who is being or has been checked because they work with children and carry out some or all of their work from their own home
A role is not considered a home-based position if it is based in the home of an individual that is being cared for or if it is listed as such in the home-based position flowchart.
However, the following information must be taken into consideration:
- The child or adult has to be present in the home of the applicant who will provide the care, teaching, instruction or service to them
- When the DBS Check is in relation to members of households rather than the individual who is providing care, etc. there has to be the opportunity for contact with the children in the home
- There is currently no legislation that allows a DBS Check for individuals who live in the household of someone who’s providing regulated activity personal care, healthcare or social work to adults who need it
- Wherever the DBS Check is in relation to individuals who live and work on the premises of a specified place there must be opportunity for contact with children
What roles are eligible for a home-based position check?
The following roles are eligible for a home-based position check:
- Teaching, training, instructing, guiding, supervising, caring for or providing healthcare for or to children
- Childminding, fostering or adoption of children
- Working and living on the premises of:
- A further educational institution or 16-19 academy for children
- An educational institution exclusively or mainly for the full-time provision of education to children
- An institution for the detention of children
- A children’s home
- Nursery school
- Children’s centre
- Healthcare as a regulated activity
- Personal care as a regulated activity
- Social work as a regulated activity
Putting these checks into practice – case studies
If you’re still unsure whether you or an employee may require a home-based position check, there are a number of case studies that can provide greater clarification on when and where these checks can be used.
For example:
Scenario 1: If member of a church carries out eligible work with children or vulnerable adults from the place where they live, a home based check may be requested.
Scenario 2: If the applicant provides any form of teaching or instruction from their own home by telephone / internet to children they do not meet the criteria for a home based check.
This is because the children are not present in the home of the person providing that teaching or instruction.
Conclusion
We hope that this guide has provided further clarification on home-based position DBS Checks. Please consult the official DBS materials if you require any further information.
Feel free to get in touch with any questions or comments – we’re always happy to help!
