You’ll need to decide who will require a DBS check and state this on your Safeguarding Policy. Generally, volunteers who do not have unsupervised contact with children/ vulnerable adults, do not require a DBS check. Your beneficiaries should know not to give unsupervised contact with their children, to volunteers unless they have a DBS check.

It is advisable for all hosts to be DBS checked as it may not be possible for them to avoid unsupervised contact with children or vulnerable adults.

Your local community voluntary services organisation should be able to offer DBS checks at a discount.

Be sure to have volunteers get the online version so they are automatically updated each year and then they will also be transferable.

If a volunteer has one from another organisation, it will not be valid unless it is the online version.

Contact your local Voluntary Action or Community & Voluntary Service organisation to verify the above.