Guidance on when a DBS check is required

Guidance on when a DBS check is required

An enhanced DBS certificate is required for anyone undertaking Regulated Activity.

What is Regulated Activity?

Regulated Activity ……includes work that involves close and unsupervised contact with vulnerable groups, including children.

Examples of Regulated Activity with children include:

  1. Teaching, training, instructing, caring for or supervising children if the person is unsupervised, or providing any form of advice or guidance on well-being; *
  2. Work for a limited range of establishments (‘specified places’), with opportunity for contact with children: for example, schools, children’s homes, childcare premises. Not work by supervised volunteers*

* Work under (1) or (2) is Regulated Activity only if done regularly. ‘Regularly’ means carried out by the same person frequently (once a week or more) or on three or more days in a 30-day period (or in some cases overnight).

It follows that a monthly children’s meeting for worship with the usual safeguards of 2 volunteers present at all times would fall outside of regulated activity. However, we would expect each Meeting House holding Children’s Meetings for Worship to consult with Gill, Ann or Tony for advice about their specific situation.

Activities which would place a volunteer working with adults within the scope of regulated activity include: 

  1. Healthcare: if they are a regulated health care professional or are acting under the direction or supervision of one (eg doctors, nurses, physiotherapists).
  2. Personal care: assistance with washing and dressing, eating, drinking and toileting or teaching or prompting someone to do one of these tasks.
  3. Social work: provision by a social care worker of social work which is required in connection with any health services or social services.
  4. Assistance with a person’s cash, bills or shopping because of their age, illness or disability.
  5. Assistance with the conduct of an adult’s own affairs, eg lasting or enduring powers of attorney, or deputies appointed under the Mental Health Act.
  6. Conveying adults for reasons of age, illness or disability to, from or between places where they receive healthcare, personal care or social work (excludes friends, family or taxi drivers).

At the moment, to our knowledge, none of the Local Meetings in North London Area Quaker Meeting are undertaking Regulated Activity with Adults as defined here and therefore the volunteers we have are not required to have a DBS check. Please liaise with Ann Boater, Gill Sewell or Tony Carroll, if in any doubt. 

However, irrespective of whether an individual’s activity within the meeting meets the criteria for a DBS check, we have a shared responsibility to ensure that attendance at Quaker activities is a safe place for all and to talk through informally and in confidence with Gill, Ann or Tony any borderline  concerns which may arise about the behaviour of an individual within the Meeting.

Should one of the Local Meetings in the Area start any new activity with children or adults which may meet the Regulated Activity criteria, please take advice from Gill Sewell (Lead), Tony Caroll (Deputy) and Ann Boater (Deputy). 

If a DBS check is required, Ann Boater is the appointed verifier for North London Area Meeting and will take you through the process.

This Document has been agreed by the Area Meeting Safeguarding Team, Gill Sewell (Lead) 07977 478743, Tony Caroll (Deputy) 07766056855 and Ann Boater (Deputy) 07951359779.