Do volunteers need a DBS check?

A common question our AuthentiQuest team gets asked is, do volunteers need DBS checks?

A volunteer is an individual who works for an organisation without being paid. The DBS will not consider you as a volunteer if you:

• Receive payment (excluding for travel etc.)
• Are on work placement
• Are on a course that requires you to do this job role
• Are a trainee that will lead to a full-time role or qualification

Whether you will need a DBS check or not will all depend on the nature of your role and the organisation. If your role involves working with vulnerable groups or children, you will need to obtain an enhanced DBS check. Volunteers will be eligible for a DBS check if their role is:

• Listed in the Rehabilitation of Offence Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. This makes you eligible for a Standard Check.
• Specifically in the Police Act 1997 Regulations. This makes you eligible for an Enhanced Check.
• Working in 'regulated activity' with vulnerable groups/children. This makes you eligible for an Enhanced Check.
• Regulated activity means work that involves teaching, training, instructing, supervising, caring and providing advise on well-being or driving vehicles only for children e.g. a school coach. The regulated activity also involves working in a limited range of establishments with opportunities for contact, for example, schools, care homes, etc.