Safeguarding recruitment guide
DBS checks for charity volunteers and trustees
DBS checks are not a blanket requirement for every charity role. Trustees and volunteer managers need to decide role by role, using official DBS guidance, whether a basic, standard, enhanced, or enhanced with barred list check may be available and what evidence should be kept.
Start with the role, not the person
- Write the role description before choosing a check level, including duties, location, supervision, frequency, who the role supports, and whether the work is paid or voluntary
- Use the official DBS eligibility guidance or GOV.UK eligibility tool for the actual role, not for a generic trustee, volunteer, fundraiser, driver, helpline, or charity shop label
- Record whether the suitability decision is being made in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, overseas, or another jurisdiction because check routes differ
- Keep a dated eligibility note with the recruitment file so trustees can see why a standard, enhanced, barred list, or basic route was selected
Volunteer and trustee questions
- Do not assume volunteer status only because a role is unpaid; DBS volunteer status depends on unpaid time, approved expenses, and benefit to a third party beyond a close relative
- Trustees of children's charities or adult charities may have enhanced-check routes, but barred list access depends on whether the trustee also carries out regulated activity
- Charity retail, fundraising event, driving, helpline, mentoring, school, faith, or overseas aid roles need the activity, frequency, supervision, and beneficiary group checked separately
- If the trustee, supervisor, or manager also performs another role, record both the governance role and the operational role before making the DBS decision
Evidence before requesting a check
- Confirm the workforce route: child, adult, child and adult, or other, because this affects enhanced certificates and police information
- Separate enhanced check eligibility from barred list eligibility; barred list checks need regulated activity reasoning and should not be added casually
- Set identity verification, applicant consent, privacy notices, recruitment of ex-offenders policy, certificate review, and secure retention before requesting or recording any check
- If accepting a previously issued certificate, check level, workforce, original position, date of issue, identity, Update Service status, and whether the role has changed
When the role changes or overseas work is involved
- Any change in duties, supervision, location, frequency, children/adult contact, overnight work, or personal care may change the level of check that can be requested
- DBS guidance says DBS cannot access criminal records held overseas in the same way, so overseas criminal record checks, certificates of good character, partner checks, or local routes may still be needed
- Do not use a future possibility, emergency cover, or generic safeguarding concern as a reason to request a standard or enhanced check if the everyday role is not eligible
- Where allegations, dismissal, harm, role removal, or suitability concerns arise, preserve evidence and check safeguarding routes, DBS referral duties, and serious incident reporting separately
Official sources
Official source
DBS eligibility guidance
Official DBS collection for deciding whether a role may be eligible for a basic, standard, or enhanced DBS check.
Official source
Find out which DBS check is right for your employee
GOV.UK eligibility tool for employers registered in England or Wales.
Official source
DBS checks: guidance for employers
Employer guidance covering application routes, Update Service, overseas applicants, certificate validity, and previously issued certificates.
Official source
Working with children in the charity sector and overseas aid organisations
DBS charity-sector leaflet for roles involving children, trustees of children's charities, fundraising events, schools, helplines, driving, and overseas aid.
Official source
Working with adults in the charity sector and overseas aid organisations
DBS charity-sector leaflet for adult workforce, adult charities, charity retail, fundraising, care, driving, befriending, and overseas aid contexts.
Related tools
Interactive tool
Charity DBS check eligibility planner
Prepare the evidence a charity needs before deciding whether a role may be eligible for a basic, standard, enhanced, or enhanced with barred list DBS check. The planner points trustees and volunteer managers to official DBS guidance without giving legal, safeguarding, employment, recruitment, data-protection, or eligibility advice.
Interactive tool
Charity safeguarding policy checker
Check whether a charity's safeguarding and protecting-people arrangements have the evidence trustees need before annual review, service changes, online delivery, volunteer recruitment, overseas work, or incident follow-up. The checker follows Charity Commission safeguarding guidance without giving legal, safeguarding, employment, data-protection, insurance, criminal, or governance advice.
Interactive tool
Charity data protection readiness checker
Check whether a charity has practical evidence ready before launching forms, fundraising campaigns, CRM migrations, AI tools, beneficiary systems, staff data workflows, or supplier questionnaires. The checker scores operational readiness and links to official ICO guidance without giving legal advice.
Interactive tool
Charity password and access security checker
Check whether a charity has the core access controls needed before expanding software accounts. The checker gives a risk band, an action list, and source-checked benefits to review; it does not replace professional security advice, legal advice, or provider eligibility checks.
Interactive tool
Charity serious incident reporting checker
Check whether an actual or alleged incident has strong Charity Commission serious-incident reporting signals and whether the trustee body has the evidence needed before using the official report form. The checker follows GOV.UK serious incident guidance without giving legal, safeguarding, criminal, insurance, audit, data-protection, or governance advice.
Common questions
FAQ
Do all charity volunteers need a DBS check?
No. Not all roles working or volunteering for a charity are eligible for standard or enhanced checks. The role's actual duties, beneficiary group, supervision, frequency, and workforce route need to be checked against official DBS guidance.
FAQ
Can a charity trustee get an enhanced DBS check?
Sometimes. DBS charity-sector guidance gives specific trustee examples, including children's and adult charities, but barred list access depends on whether the trustee also carries out regulated activity. The trustee role and any operational role should be recorded separately.
FAQ
Can a charity ask for enhanced checks just in case someone might work with children or adults later?
DBS charity guidance says standard and enhanced checks should be linked to activities that form part of everyday responsibilities, not future possibilities or emergency cover. Reassess the role when duties actually change.
FAQ
Is an old DBS certificate enough for a new charity role?
Not automatically. Employer guidance says the employer decides whether to accept a previously issued certificate and should consider the certificate level, workforce, original position, identity, date of issue, role match, and Update Service status.
FAQ
Does a DBS check cover overseas criminal records?
DBS employer guidance and charity leaflets explain that DBS cannot access all overseas criminal records. Where a person lived or worked overseas, charities should consider overseas criminal record routes, certificates of good character, partner checks, and local requirements.
Decision notes
- This guide is not legal, safeguarding, employment, recruitment, data-protection, DBS eligibility, or criminal-record advice. Use official DBS guidance and professional advice where needed.
- A DBS check is one part of safer recruitment; it does not replace role design, supervision, references, identity checks, training, safeguarding procedures, data-protection controls, and trustee oversight.
- The linked planner stores no applicant data and should be used only to prepare evidence before checking the official DBS eligibility guidance.
- Do not ask applicants to paste certificate details, criminal record information, addresses, or identity documents into this site.