DBS
What is DBS?
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 can be quite daunting to carry out, but they are easy, once you understand the reason for the questions.
The information that you provide on the DBS application is to establish 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 members in filling out these forms and avoiding the most common mistakes. This is especially useful for members who recruit a lot of volunteers or staff and is offered free of charge. This runs on the first Tuesday of each month.
DBS and Changemakers
As part of our changemaker package for youth-focused organisations in Oxfordshire, we are offering 5 FREE DBS checks when you sign up (2021/22). However, what this means is that OY will waive our administration fee from the first 5 DBS applications you submit.
All standard and enhanced volunteer checks are free of charge, but all standard and enhanced staff checks will not be as these certificates cost £23 and £40 respectively. Therefore, our FREE checks offer means that you do not pay for our service, but you will need to pay for the DBS certificate for staff checks!
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 |
FAQS
Firstly, to reduce mistakes – please read the front page! But in case you don’t, please write in black ink and capital letters. This is to ensure the staff at DBS are looking for clarity. Also, when writing out the dates, other than your D.O.B and date of signing, they are looking for the Month and Year (MM/YYYY), not the day as well. Finally, do not sign the back page signature box, that is for the registered body only.
Oxfordshire Youth take data handling very seriously. When we receive your application form, your details are stored online in a confidential excel file. The physical forms are then, if they are not being sent off to DBS that day, are kept in a folder in a locked filing cupboard.
When your form is sent off, we scan it and keep the scanned files for up to 1 year after it arrived at OY. On the 1at April of each year, we will delete the scanned files from the previous April. Your evidence checklist/ privacy statements are scanned and then shredded as we do not keep any physical copies of your data once they have been sent to DBS in line with GDPR regulations.
Please print off a continuation sheet and detail in the ‘Additional Information’ section your living situation. This is so those evaluating your application can locate where any police files on you would be kept. Your homeless status will not affect your application.
Process
- 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.
- Oxfordshire Youth send the application forms out to applying organisation/individual.
- The applying organisation/individual fill it out and send it back to Oxfordshire Youth.
- The form is logged by Oxfordshire Youth, checked for mistakes and an ID verification zoom call is set up (only if this hasn’t already been completed by the applicants evidence-checker from their organisation).
- Once completed, Oxfordshire Youth send the application off to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
- Oxfordshire Youth track the progress of the application and chase up any issues with DBS on behalf of the applicant.
Important Forms and Documents
6 September 2021
1 September 2021
A checklist for countersignatories to help applicants join the Update Service quickly and easily.
1 September 2021
Guidance and information regarding the sensitive applications route for transgender applicants.
1 September 2021
Declaration of understanding form to be signed by all applicants for standard and enhanced checks
1 September 2021
13 July 2021
A list to help you pass your DBS check.
Changemakers
Join over 200 organisations as a Changemaker and gain access to bespoke youth work development, tailored training and free resources.
Learning and development
We run hundreds of online training sessions throughout the year. Click here to find out more and to book
Level 2 & 3
Find out more about two different awards for those working with young people.
Organisation map
We have produced an interactive map showing the breadth of services for children and young people in Oxfordshire. Access it here.
Children and Young People’s Forum
Learn more about the forum for those who work with children aged 0 to 25 years old in Oxfordshire.
