It’s common for people to think that volunteers can kind of operate outside of the regulatory sphere. The thinking tends to go that as they’re not actually employed. They might not need to do all of the rest of the paperwork-related things that employees have to do.
When it comes to criminal background checks for volunteers, or more specifically, DBS checks, this isn’t the case. As we’ll find out, people operating in regulated industries need to have a clear record. Whether they’re being paid or not. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is A DBS Check?
DBS checks are the main kind of criminal background check in the UK. Carried out by a non-departmental government body called the Disclosure and Barring Service.
These checks consist of checking various lists and criminal record databases, to ensure that the person being checked won’t represent a threat. There are three different levels of DBS checks.
- Basic check
The basic check is the lowest level check available. Anyone can have one done, as it’s not subject to regulatory control. It’s a common requirement in areas such as hospitality and the retail industry.
It consists of searching for any unspent criminal convictions, warnings, or reprimands. While some volunteer positions may require one, there won’t generally be volunteer positions where it’s an actual legal requirement.
- Standard check
The Standing check is one step up from the basic check. It looks for both spent and unspent convictions, warnings, and reprimands, making the bar a little higher.
The standard check is regulated, meaning that not just anyone can apply to have one carried out. It could be required for volunteer positions that involve supervised contact with vulnerable adults or children, if the specific industry regulations stipulate that it’s necessary.
- Enhanced check
The enhanced check is the highest level check available. In addition to spent and unspent convictions, warnings and reprimands, it also includes any information that local police forces consider relevant to the position in question.
The enhanced check is also regulated, and will typically only be carried out for positions that involve regular unsupervised contact with vulnerable adults or children, such as volunteering positions in schools, hospitals, or other similar care-based settings.
Getting Further Advice
It can sometimes be a little confusing trying to figure out whether or not you need a DBS check for volunteer positions. If you’re a volunteer, then it’s a little easier – the organisation you’re applying to volunteer at should be able to request that any necessary checks are conducted.
If you’re an organisation that isn’t sure whether it needs to have checks conducted, then it’s generally worth checking with a specialist provider such as Personnel Checks, to ensure that you remain on the right side of the law.
Things should be a little clearer now. Essentially, it doesn’t matter whether an individual is being paid or not when it comes to DBS checks. If the paid role would legally require a check being conducted, then that same role carried out by a volunteer will also require a DBS check.
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