Sector support

For over 75 years, Oxfordshire Youth has been the backbone of this county’s youth sector. We are deeply committed to meeting the changing needs of grassroots organisations working with children and young people aged 0 to 25 and our impact includes the provision of career enhancing training.

We take pride in our history of providing support for a large and gloriously diverse community. Together with the members of our Changemaker network we reach over 26,000 young people.

Oxfordshire Youth celebrates the expertise and exemplary practice of everyone involved in the youth work sector. You are the drivers of positive change. And to make meaningful differences in the lives of those you work with, you need brilliant training. From youth workers to volunteers, trustees to children and young adults’ staff, you are there supporting young people, enabling employees and educating families and carers.

Engage with us for career enriching experiences that allow you to bring the best possible version of yourself to your work and deliver top outcomes for the children and young people you support.

To find out more, email: training@oxfordshireyouth.org

Joining our Changemaker Network connects you with other voluntary sector organisations and unlocks a host of benefits.

Members receive:

  • access to The Children and Young People’s Forum – a collective voice for the sector
  • subsidised/free access to networking and partnership events
  • youth work training for staff, trustees and volunteers
  • eight admin fee-free DBS checks per year
  • reduced fee DBS processing and application support
  • regular communications offering sector insight information and support about funding opportunities and grants
  • opportunity to share vacancies and information on your work via our monthly newsletter.
  • bespoke youth work and youth leadership development
  • continuing professional development resources
  • one free ticket to the Annual Youth Work Conference, and half price additional tickets thereafter
  • access to Directory of Members
  • opportunity to join thematic and geographical sub-groups to share information and establish partnerships
  • access to a database of youth workers being collated in times of need and additional staffing.

Join the Changemaker Network      Enter the Changemaker Area

What is the Disclosure and Barring Service?

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children.

If you are volunteering or applying for paid work with children, or to work in a regulated activity with adults, then you will need a DBS check.

Training

DBS checks are easy, once you understand the reasons for the questions you will be asked.

The information that you provide on your DBS application establishes your identity. It provides enough details for checks to be made, so that employers can be as confident as possible that they are recruiting safely.

We offer bespoke training to our Changemakers in filling out these forms and avoiding the most common mistakes. This is especially useful for organisations that recruit a lot of volunteers or staff.

DBS and Changemakers

As part of our package for youth-focused organisations in Oxfordshire that sign up to the Changemaker Network, we will waive our administration fee for the first five DBS applications you submit saving your organisation £10 per DBS check.

What does a DBS check cost?

Standard Enhanced
Changemakers (affiliated) Non-affiliated: not-for-profit organisation Non-affiliated: for-profit organisation Changemakers (affiliated) Non-affiliated: not-for-profit organisation Non-affiliated: for-profit organisation
Volunteer check £5 £15 £50 £5 £15 £50
Paid staff check £28 £38 £68 £48 £58 £88

Frequently asked questions

Process

  1. Once you have enquired about a DBS check, the DBS Administrator will contact you and send you the GOV UK eligibility quiz. This is so we can see what level of check you are eligible for, and whether we are able to offer our services as we do not supply basic DBS checks.
  2. Oxfordshire Youth send the application forms out to applying organisation/individual.
  3. The applying organisation/individual fills it out and sends it back to Oxfordshire Youth.
  4. The form is logged by Oxfordshire Youth, checked for mistakes and an ID verification Zoom call is set up if this hasn’t already been done by the applicant’s evidence-checker in their organisation.
  5. Oxfordshire Youth sends the application to the DBS.
  6. Oxfordshire Youth tracks the progress of the application and chases up any issues with DBS on behalf of the applicant.

Important forms and documents

DBS code of practice

Update Service application checklist

Transgender applications

Declaration of Understanding Form

Continuation sheet

DBS Evidence Checklist

“We have developed such a brilliant relationship with Oxfordshire Youth. I honestly don’t think we’d go anywhere else for training now”

Chiara Querci-Hall, British Gymnastics
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Disclosure and Barring Service

Oxfordshire Youth is currently unable to process new D.B.S. applications from today due to a change in staffing. We have made it an organisational priority to provide our Changemaker network with a constant D.B.S. service for many years and it is our intention to be able to offer the sector this valuable facility again as soon as possible.
During this period, if your organisation requires basic D.B.S. checks, please go to the gov.uk website Disclosure and Barring Service pages where alternative providers can be found or for basic and enhanced checks, email us at the address below and we can send you some alternative service providers.

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