DBS shares best practice in support of Safeguarding Adults Week

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is marking Safeguarding Adults Week to spotlight the vital role it plays to help keep vulnerable adults in the care sector safe.

Led by the Anne Craft Trust, Safeguarding Adults Week aims to highlight safeguarding sector key issues, facilitate conversations and to raise awareness of safeguarding best practice.

DBS supports employers across the adult care sector to make safer recruitment decisions by processing and issuing criminal record checks and by maintaining the Barred Lists (records of people not permitted to work in regulated activity with vulnerable groups).

In October 2023 alone, DBS issued almost 40,000 Enhanced DBS checks for the adult care sector.

Throughout Safeguarding Adults Week, DBS is focusing on signposting employers across the care sector to support and information clarifying legal requirements around the level of DBS checks required, as well as information around legal duty to refer where there might be a suspected safeguarding breach.

DBS’ Regional Outreach Service is providing a range of activities and information, including workshops and webinars that better explain and inform, particularly around the Enhanced DBS check process that might be required in a health and social care role.

Key pointers around Enhanced DBS checks include the following:

• The employer must submit this on the employee’s behalf, and all details must be correct and up to date to avoid any delays.
• Enhanced DBS checks will disclose the same information as a Standard check but can also include non-conviction information that the police believe is relevant.
• Enhanced DBS checks go through five stages to ensure that employers are making safer recruitment decisions.

Once the application is checked against the Child and/or Adult Barred Lists, the application is sent for a ‘records held by the police search’. The police will add on any information they deem relevant to the position stated on the application.

The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) and DBS work diligently together to ensure that such checks are processed thoroughly and efficiently to ensure safeguarding remains a top priority in recruitment across the sector.

Eric Robinson, Chief Executive for the Disclosure and Barring Service, said: “DBS is proud of its track record in helping organisations across the care sector make safer employment decisions and we are supportive of awareness-raising initiatives like Safeguarding Adults Week. 

 “Safeguarding really is everybody’s business, and we all know how important it is to improve knowledge and share information around how to protect society’s most vulnerable and keep them from harm.”