What is a DBS check?

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is a criminal record check which employers in England and Wales may request for safeguarding purposes.

The types of check are as follows:

• a basic check: shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• a standard check: shows spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings
• an enhanced check: shows the same as a standard check plus any information held by local police that’s considered relevant to the role
• an enhanced check with a check of the barred lists: the same as an enhanced check plus whether the applicant is on the adults’ barred list, children’s barred list or both. The barred lists allow the DBS to keep a record of people who are not permitted to work in a regulated activity with children and/or vulnerable adults. It’s a criminal offence for a person to work with a group from which they have been barred from working.
  

The type of work you are doing, or will be doing, will determine the level of check that you need. You can find more information on gov.uk.

What is the ISM’s DBS checking service?

If you are an ISM member and you meet the eligibility criteria set by the UK government, the ISM can help you obtain a DBS check as a benefit of your membership.

How can I apply for a DBS check if I am employed?

If you are employed, your employer will be able to apply for a DBS check for you at whichever level is appropriate.

How can I apply for a DBS check if I am self-employed?

Under current UK legislation, self-employed individuals cannot apply for an enhanced or standard DBS check unless a third party, such as a professional association like the ISM, requests the check on their behalf.

If you are self-employed, you can apply for a basic DBS check by yourself, or we can request it for you. However, the basic check is not suitable for private music teachers if you are teaching under 18s or vulnerable adults.

Which level of DBS check do I need?

The ISM recommends that members who teach under 18s or vulnerable adults obtain an enhanced DBS check with barred list. This is mandatory if you are applying for ISM Registered Private Teacher status.

We can organise an enhanced DBS check with barred list for you if you teach or your intention is to teach under 18s in the next 4 – 8 working weeks on one occasion or more per week, or for intensive periods of 4 days or more over a 30-day period.

Eligibility tests for a standard DBS check or an enhanced DBS check without a barred list check are less stringent.

These checks are available to anyone within the following three categories:

1. a person whose normal duties include caring for, training, supervising or being in
   sole charge of children
2. a person whose normal duties involve unsupervised contact with children under
   arrangements made by a responsible person’ (a responsible person would include
   a parent or teacher)
3. a person working in schools whose work provides opportunities for contact with children

A basic DBS check is the lowest level of DBS check, and is not suitable for one-to-one teaching.

How do I apply for a DBS check through the ISM and how much does it cost?

We can organise an Enhanced DBS Disclosure for you if you teach or your intention is to teach in the next 4 – 8 working weeks to under 18s on one occasion or more per week, or for intensive periods of 4 days or more over a 30 day period.

The Disclosure application is handled by our DBS Registered Umbrella Body, Due Diligence Checking (DDC). The fee is £59.60 including DDC’s admin fee and VAT.

To ascertain what level of DBS check you require please answer the following questions:

1. What type of work are you doing?
2. How regular is the work?
3. Do you work with under 18s?
4. Do you work with vulnerable adults? What is regulated activity with adults, please find onhttps://www.ddc.uk.net/help-ad...
5. Where is the work taking place – is it at your home address/school/care home or other?
6. Would you prefer a paper or online application form?

If you require a DBS check, please get in touch with us with the answers to the above questions on [email protected].

How do I apply?

The application process is as follows:

1. Email us your answers to the five questions above and we will register you on the DDC website.

2. Depending on your preference, DDC will either email or post you their application form. This provides all the information you need, including a list of documents you will need to verify your identity, and information on how to make payment. You will also receive a pre-addressed envelope in the post which you will need to use to send your original ID documents (ie passport) to them. DDC will return these to you within three working days.

3. Once you've completed your application form and sent in your ID documents, this is then processed through DBS and your local police force.

4. If your application is successful, you will be sent a DBS certificate in the post. If your application is unsuccessful, you will be notified of this.

The whole process takes between 4-8 weeks on average, depending on the workload and staff resource of your local police force.

What is the DBS Update Service?

The DBS Update Service is an automatic annual renewal service that allows you to keep DBS certificates up to date. If you join this service, you will be DBS checked once a year. It allows employers to check a certificate online, with your consent. The certificate can also be used again when you apply for a position in the same workforce (under 18 or vulnerable adults), where the same type and level of check is required.

Benefits of joining the Update Service include:

• it saves you time and money
• you can take your DBS certificate from role to role within the same workforce where the same type and level of check is required
• employers can make instant online status checks of DBS certificates linked to your subscription
• it enhances safeguarding processes
• you will not need to obtain a new DBS check every 3 years to maintain your ISM Registered Private Teacher status

Find out more about the DBS Update Service or call the DBS on 0300 0200 190.

How does the DBS Update Service work?

DBS Update Service subscription costs £13a year and starts from the date your DBS certificate is issued. The fee is payable by debit or credit card. A Direct Debit can be set up to ensure your subscription renews automatically every year. DBS will only accept registrations for the Update Service between the date you apply for your DBS check and 30 days after your check is issued.

You can subscribe to the DBS Update Service via the DBS website using your application reference which you'll receive once your check has been issued. If you require your application reference number in advance of your check being issued, please contact us.

AccessNI operate their own criminal record checking department for employers or professional bodies (such as the ISM) to request an applicant’s criminal record. You are required to get an AccessNI criminal record check if your work involves close or regular contact with children or vulnerable adults.

Access NI do not have an update service, so the check is valid only on the point of issue and employers can decide how often they would like their employees to obtain a check. In order to maintain your ISM Registered Private Teacher status, the ISM asks members in Northern Ireland to obtain an AccessNI check every 3 years.

If you are self-employed, the ISM can start the application process for you by entering the basic applicant info onto the portal of our partner DDC (Due Diligence Checking).

DDC will contact you to provide guidance on setting up an online account with AccessNI, and entering form information required to process the application.

You will need to provide original ID documents which need to be verified (either by the employer or DDC Ltd). Documents will then be cross-referenced with the form information to ensure they match. Any discrepancies or differences will be identified and queried with you directly.

DDC will submit the form online to AccessNI and track the application to ensure it is processed as quickly as possible. Any queries from AccessNI will be dealt with by a DDC counter signatory as soon as possible.

The certificate will be issued, printed and posted to DDC, with a copy sent directly to your home address.

The fee for an enhanced AccessNI check is £54.60.

If you require a AccessNI check, get in touch with us to find out more and organise your check ([email protected], 020 7221 3499 - 9.30am-5.30pm).

Find more information on nidirect.

What is the PVG scheme?

In Scotland, those who work with children and protected adults on a regular basis will be required to join the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme. The Adult Support and Protection Act 2007 defines protected adults as those aged 16 years and over who are unable to safeguard their own wellbeing, property, rights or other interests and are at risk of harm.

Managed and delivered by Disclosure Scotland, the scheme makes the decisions about who should be barred from working with vulnerable groups. When someone applies to join the PVG scheme, Disclosure Scotland carries out criminal record checks and shares the results with individuals and employer organisations, or, if you are a private teacher, with the DDC (Due Diligence Checking), which organises the PVG registration on behalf of the ISM.

The ISM can request the PVG scheme registration or update on your behalf if you are an ISM member. ISM members in Scotland must be registered to the PVG scheme in order to obtain ISM Registered Private Teacher status.

Regular checks for PVG members

Disclosure Scotland regularly checks applicants’ suitability to continue working with children or protected adults on an ongoing basis. If they find new information which means someone might have become unsuitable to work with children or protected adults, they'll tell their employer, or the registered body which applied on their behalf (eg the DDC). DDC will then inform the ISM about the changes.

A PVG scheme member's paper certificate shows the information available on the day it was created. Membership of the scheme lasts indefinitely though, and scheme members are continuously checked, unless they decide to leave the scheme.

How much does it cost?

When registering to join the PVG scheme as a new member, the fee is £80.60.

If an applicant is already a member of the PVG scheme, DDC can process the application as a PVG update providing they have seen the original PVG certificate from when you first joined the PVG scheme. The cost of a PVG update is £39.60. The PVG update is required for ISM members who have registered with the PVG scheme through another organisation (not the ISM).

How do I register?

If you would like to join the scheme or update your PVG, get in touch with us ([email protected], 020 7221 3499 - 9.30am-5.30pm).

Find more information on the PVG scheme at mygov.scot.