How do DBS Checks Work for Volunteers?
Volunteers spend their time doing something to benefit others unrelated to them. There are many places a person can choose to volunteer. For example, reading to children at a local school or nursery; assisting with hospital radio requests from patients; working on community gardening projects with vulnerable adults; assisting at mental-health drop-in café; helping at a foodbank; these are just a few examples. Volunteer work can be rewarding for everyone, but it is important that safety checks on volunteers are in place.
If I am Volunteering My Time, why do I Need a DBS Check?
It may depend on the organisation and the work you are doing, but many volunteers work with people who are vulnerable. The organisation needs to ensure that the volunteer is suited for working with children or vulnerable people, so that no-one is endangered.
What does a Volunteer DBS Check look for?
It will depend on whether your volunteer role requires a Standard DBS or an Enhanced DBS. If you are working directly with children or vulnerable adults, or spending any time alone or unsupervised with them, then you will need an Enhanced DBS. But both will check whether you have any spent convictions, warnings, or reprimands. An Enhanced volunteer check will also liaise with the local police as to whether they hold any information about you and will look at the Government’s Barred List. The Barred List contains names of people whose past behaviour has shown that they should not work with children or vulnerable adults.
What is the Benefit of a Volunteer DBS Check?
Well for the organisation, Volunteer DBS checks are carried out a lower price, which can be beneficial especially if they are a charity or social enterprise. It can ensure the volunteers they have are safe and trustworthy to be working with children or vulnerable adults.
What Criteria Must be Met for a Volunteer DBS Check?
- The volunteer must work in regulated activity and be able to prove this.
- The volunteer cannot be working in the role with the knowledge it will become a full-time job in the future.
- The volunteer cannot be paid for their work (it is acceptable for volunteers to receive pay for travel or approved out-of-pocket expenses).
- The volunteer cannot reap benefit from the DBS check.
- The volunteer cannot be studying for a course that has volunteering as a course-requirement.
- The volunteer cannot be on work experience/placement.
If any one of the criteria above are not met, then the organisation willed to pay full price for the DBS check.
Can Individuals Get Their Own Volunteer DBS Check?
No, you cannot request a DBS check for yourself. It is the organisation that you will be volunteering for which needs to request this for you. This applies to Standard and Enhanced DBS checks in employment too. You will be asked to fill out a Volunteer DBS form by the charity or organisation, they will pay a reduced fee for this. We will process it, and once completed we will send a DBS certificate to them and a copy to yourself.
