Guidance

Eligibility for Enhanced DBS check (child workforce)

Published 1 September 2026

Disclaimer: This is not legal advice. If you need help with making sure you are complying with the law, you should speak to a legal advisor.  

1.  Introduction   

This guidance is designed to help you determine whether a role is eligible for an Enhanced DBS check (no barred list). It outlines the specific activities, job roles, and workplaces that may mean a role is eligible for this type of DBS check. This guidance applies whether roles are paid or unpaid.  

After reviewing the guidance, if the role is not eligible for an Enhanced DBS check, you should then consider whether it is eligible for a standard DBS check. 

This guidance will support you with this assessment  Eligibility for Standard DBS Checks - GOV.UK

2. Activities carried out more than once 

If someone is doing any of the activities listed below, more than once, they are eligible for an Enhanced DBS check (no barred list)  

2.1 Providing legal advice to children  

Individuals who provide legal advice to children are eligible for an enhanced DBS check. 

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 2.1 of the legislation attachment.

2.2 Any type of work in a children’s hospital  

Any type of work in a children’s hospital, where the person doing the work has the opportunity for contact with the children being treated there and that work is for the purpose of the children’s hospital means the person undertaking this work is eligible for an Enhanced DBS check. 

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 2.2 of the legislation attachment.

2.3 Work that meets the definition of regulated activity with children but is not carried out often enough  

Individuals who undertake regulated activity with children more than once, but not often enough to be considered regulated activity (more than 3 days in a 30 day period) are eligible for an Enhanced DBS check.  

Scenario 1

Lindsey volunteers in her local library teaching children how to read. Lindsey does this once a month. Lindsey is eligible for an Enhanced DBS check (no barred list) in the children’s workforce. This is because Lindsey is teaching children (regulated activity) but not enough to meet the period condition (more than 3 days in a 30 day period). 

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 2.3 of the legislation attachment.

2.4 Providing treatment or therapy to children 

Individuals who provide treatment or therapy to children, for example, complementary therapists – unless the work is covered by providing healthcare, care or supervision, advice or guidance in the definition of regulated activity with children are eligible for an Enhanced DBS check.  

Scenario 2 

A sports club employs Xavier to provide sports therapy for their children’s teams and he comes to the club to do this every other Saturday. The sports club can ask Xavier to apply for an Enhanced DBS check without a Children’s Barred List check. This is because his work is providing treatment or therapy to children. 

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 2.4 of the legislation attachment.

2.5 Temporary or occasional work in a specified establishment 

Individuals that undertake work in a specified establishment that is considered to be temporary or occasional by the organisation employing them are eligible for an Enhanced DBS check.  Please see this guidance for a list of specified establishments.  

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 2.5 of the legislation attachment.

3. Activities with no frequency requirement 

The following activities do not need to be carried out a certain number of times, individuals undertaking these are eligible for an enhanced DBS check: 

3.1 Registering to run a childminding agency or working for a childminding agency in a specific role that specifically  

Individual that are registering to run a childminding agency, or work for a childminding agency in a role that involves the below are eligible for an Enhanced DBS check: 

• quality assurance visits to daycare or childminding premises  

• access to sensitive or personal information about the children cared for by the agency 

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 3.1 of the legislation attachment.

3.2 Anyone aged 16 and over living in the household of someone who is being assessed to work in any specified places 

Anyone aged 16 and over living in the household of someone who is being assessed to work in any of the activities or places, where they both live on the premises where the work will take place:  

• a further education institution  

• a 16-19 academy  

• any of the work with children activities listed above 

Scenario 3 

Harry is 17 years old and lives with his parents and younger brother. Harry’s mum is a tutor at a further education college which is not a specified establishment and the family live in a house within the college grounds. As Harry is over 16 and his mum works for the college, the college can ask him and his dad to apply for an Enhanced DBS check without a Children’s Barred List check. 

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 3.2 of the legislation attachment.

4. Specified Positions 

Anyone who holds the following specific positions is eligible for an Enhanced DBS check:   

4.1 Roles carrying out the following inspection functions are eligible for enhanced DBS check, if in consequence of anything the person is permitted or required to do in the exercise of their function, they have contact with children: 

• An inspection under section 10B of the Employment and Training Act 1973 (inspection of careers services in England) 

• Inspection of teacher training in England 

• Inspection of religious education in England 

• Powers of inspection etc on entry onto early years provision and later years provision premises 

• Inspection of further education and training etc - Chief Inspector, Inspection of education and training, Inspection of further education institutions, Other inspections, Area inspections 

• Inspections and annual reviews of local authorities in England 

• Inspection of the functions of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) 

• Inspection of secure training centres & secure colleges 

• The exercise of a function of the Care Quality Commission so far as the function relates to the inspection of anything that is listed in section 60(1) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and involves the provision of any form of treatment or therapy for children 

The following roles are eligible for enhanced if the function relates to a specified establishment (see LW 16), and in consequence of anything the person is permitted or required to do in the exercise of their function, they have contact with children: 

• HM Chief Inspector of Schools in England 

• Bodies approved to inspect registered independent educational institutions in England 

• HM Chief Inspector of Prisons 

The following local authority roles: 

• Chief executive of a local authority that has any education functions or social services functions 

• Director of children’s services of a local authority in England 

• Director of adult social services of a local authority in England 

• Director of social services of a local authority in Wales 

• Chief education officer of a local authority in Wales 

• A member of a local authority who discharges any education functions, or social services functions, of a local authority 

• A member of an executive of a local authority which discharges any such functions 

• A member of a committee or sub-committee of an executive of a local authority which discharges any such functions 

• A member of an area committee, sub-committee or any other committee of a local authority which discharges any such functions 

4.2 Other roles and activities: 

• members of, or clerks to, the governing body or management committee of an educational establishment  

• proprietors or managers of independent schools  

• Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) officers 

• Member or Chief Executive of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) 

• Welsh family proceedings officer  

• specific inspection functions in England  

• Care Quality Commission inspectors  

• adoption and fostering panel members  

• charity trustees where the charity workers regularly carry out regulated activities with children for the charity and the charity’s main purpose is to carry out regulated activity with children 

• Any type of work in a children’s hospital in England or Wales, where the person doing the work has the opportunity for contact with the children being treated there and that work is for the purpose of the children’s hospital 

• members of local safeguarding boards  

• members of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales  

• Children’s Commissioner and Deputy in England and Wales  

• Mental Capacity Deputy appointed for a child   

• individuals seeking to manage a regulated agency or establishment for care, accommodation, or services for children  

• lead director for children and young people’s services in Wales or Children’s Rights Director in England 

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 4 of the legislation attachment.

5. Links and contacts  

Information about regulated activity with children is also available from the Department for Education (DfE) - Keeping children safe in education - GOV.UK

Information about regulated activity with children is also available from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-disclosure-and-barring-services  

See this webpage for more information on how to contact DBS -  Disclosure and Barring Service - GOV.UK