DBS checks: volunteers

You should carry out a risk assessment and use your professional judgement to determine what checks are needed for volunteers. Use our template to save you time creating your own.

Last reviewed on 14 June 2023
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 13581
Contents
  1. Carry out a risk assessment to identify the level of risk
  2. Determine the level of check required (if any) 
  3. If the volunteer refuses to undergo a DBS check

Carry out a risk assessment to identify the level of risk

You should carry out a risk assessment and use your professional judgement to determine what checks (if any) are needed. 

Your risk assessment should consider: 

  • The nature of the work, including:
    • Whether it will be considered 'regulated activity'
    • The level of supervision involved (see section below for more detail on this)
  • What you know about the volunteer, including formal or informal information offered by staff, parents and other volunteers
  • Whether the volunteer is able to provide references from other employment or voluntary activities
  • Whether the role is eligible for a disclosure and barring service (DBS) check and if it is, what level is appropriate

Keep a record of your risk assessment.

This is set out in paragraphs 305 to 307 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2023. 

Download our template risk assessment 

KeyDoc: template risk assessment for volunteer