What do the Barred Lists Check for?
There are two barred lists that exist. One list contains the names of people who are barred from working with children; the other list contains the names of those people who are barred from working with vulnerable adults.
Who is Placed onto a Barred List?
People who through their past behaviour, have proven that they are unsuitable to work with children or vulnerable adults are placed on the Barred List. A person can be placed on one or both lists depending on their past criminal record. If a person has committed a sex crime, or a crime of violence against a child or a vulnerable adult, this will mean they are added to the relevant Barred List. If the offence is a lesser offence the person may have the right to make a representation before the decision is final about them being placed on a Barred List. If a person has received an official caution to stay away from a child, children, or vulnerable adults this may be enough to have them added to Barred List. Similarly, if it is a caution, the person may make a representation, before the decision is final to add them to the Barred List.
Why do the Barred Lists exist?
Barred Lists are there to protect children and vulnerable adults from people who are considered dangerous. These individuals are considered a high risk to children and vulnerable adults, they may be predatory, and have shown themselves in the past to have behaved violently, or abused, children or vulnerable adults. The lists allow employers to safeguard children and vulnerable adults, by not employing anyone on a barred list, in a job that has contact with children or vulnerable adults.
Does Every DBS Check Include Barred Lists?
The barred lists solely form part of DBS checks for people whose job will include them doing ‘regulated activity’ with children or vulnerable adults. 90% of DBS checks are for jobs that don’t require this. If a job does involve regulated activity though, then their employer is legally required to get job candidates to complete an Enhanced DBS Check with Barred List.
What is Regulated Activity?
If the regulated activity is for a job with children, this may include unsupervised work at a school or childcare centre, and could include unsupervised teaching, guidance, caring or training of children. If the regulated activity is with vulnerable adults this could be working in any healthcare setting, social work, personal care, assisting vulnerable adults with their daily tasks or transporting them to and from appointments.
Requesting Someone is Placed on the Barred Lists
If your organisation believes there is a case for an individual to be added to a Barred list, because there is observable proof or evidence that a person has behaved suspiciously and inappropriately around children or vulnerable adults, then this can be reported to the DBS, and they will investigate this. The individual will have the opportunity to make a representation on their own behalf before the DBS make a decision. Once a person is placed on a barred list, it is illegal for them to attempt to gain employment working with children or vulnerable adults, and if they attempt to, they can be prosecuted.
The barred lists are a great way of protecting our most vulnerable members of society. If a person will be doing regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults, then they will need an Enhanced DBS Check with Barred List, and they cannot be legally employed if they appear on a Barred List.
