We wanted to ensure all were made aware of the update to volunteer related DBS checks and their specific exemption if the people were supervised.
The current exemption will be removed on the 1st September and will have a significant impact in a number of areas. Please see the below summary and also the attached fuller briefing document
IN SHORT
- What is changing. From 1 September 2026 the supervision exemption is removed. A volunteer supervised by staff can no longer be kept below the barred-list threshold on that basis alone.
- Who is caught. Supervised volunteers who work with children frequently, meaning once a week or more, or on more than three days in any thirty-day period, or overnight between 2am and 6am. They will now need an enhanced DBS check with children’s barred list information.
- Who is not. Paid staff, whose position is unchanged, and genuinely occasional helpers who fall below those thresholds.
- The catch most people miss. The thirty-day count follows the person across all the settings they help in, not each setting separately.
- What to do now. Map your child-facing volunteers, work out who now crosses the threshold, and start their checks early to avoid the back-to-school queue. NEREO can process these for you.
Any queries please address to dbssupport@nereo.gov.uk
