Do Youth Club Employees Need A DBS Check?
If you work at a youth club, then it’s likely that you will come into regular contact with children who are under the age of 18. Whether you work directly or indirectly with the younger generations, then a DBS check will apply to you.
The bigger question is, which type of DBS check is required for each role? There are 3 levels of DBS checks, basic, standard and enhanced. When a person works with children (or vulnerable individuals) then either a standard or enhanced check will need to be processed.
Standard Vs. Enhanced DBS Checks
Standard DBS Check – Employers are responsible for obtaining standard DBS checks for their employees or candidates. In this level, an individual’s criminal history is reviewed to see if any grievances, reprimands, and convictions fall under the applicant’s name.
The Standard DBS check is referred to so that an employer can ensure that candidates have no prior offences before they are hired. This level is required for professionals such as lawyers and accountants.
Enhanced DBS Check – An enhanced DBS check can also only be requested by employers on an applicant’s behalf. The difference lies in the information that this level of checking provides. Apart from including the basic information of the standard DBS check, the enhanced DBS check also reviews the DBS Children’s Barred List. If an individual is on the Children’s Barred list, then they are barred from working with vulnerable groups.
Basically, standard DBS checks will apply to youth club workers who are not necessarily there to work with the young people (such as cooks, administrators, maintenance staff, etc.) and enhanced checks will apply to those who do work directly with the youth.
The Difference Between Youth Clubs and Youth Centres
In this discussion, we think that it is also important that we distinguish between the two types of youth services, namely youth clubs and youth centres.
Youth centres provide a safe space for young people so that they can receive support and advice from mentors. It’s also a place where children can enjoy recreational activities and socialise. These centres run similar to a business, which means that the employer is responsible for administering the DBS checks.
Youth clubs run on the same basis but do not necessarily take place at an official and designated “centre”. Some clubs are run by volunteers and in this case, there is no employer who qualifies to administer the checks. The eligibility for a DBS check is the sole responsibility of the employee or volunteer.
* It is, however, important to note that any employee or volunteer who performs regulated activities with children will automatically be legible for an enhanced DBS Check.
What Are Regulated Activities?
If an individual is listed on the Children’s Barred list, then they are not legally allowed to partake in any regulated activities.
Regulated activities with young people include:
- Teaching
- Training
- Instructing
- Caring for or supervising children
- Providing advice or guidance on their well-being
- Driving vehicles for children only
Both employees and volunteers of youth clubs who carry out one or more of these activities at least three times in any 30-day period will have to obtain an enhanced check that includes a children’s barred list check.
* Remember, those who have been placed on the barred list have been dismissed or removed from associating themselves with regulated activities because they have, or might have, harmed a child.
Ensuring that youth club DBS checks are administered is an important part of confirming that young people are in the best and safest hands.
