The close and unsupervised work teaching assistants do with children and teenagers means it is no surprise you will need a thorough DBS check to work as a teaching assistant in the UK.
DBS checks are statutory criminal record checks carried out by the Disclosure and Barring service, unless you are in Scotland where checks are managed by Disclosure Scotland.
The Disclosure and Barring Service work on behalf of the Home Office to ensure the public are properly safeguarded from those who are unsuitable to work in frontline roles.
DBS checks for UK school staff
All UK school staff are subject to DBS checks to ensure they qualify for work with children, vulnerable adults and the general public.
A DBS check for a teaching assistant is an enhanced DBS check with barred lists. This type of CRB check is the strongest type of criminal record check and is necessary for all those who want to work in an environment where their work will bring them into close contact with children.
An enhanced DBS check with barred lists will search for any unspent or spent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings. It will also verify whether there is any other non-conviction information in existence with relevant police forces and if there are any entries in the children’s and/ or the vulnerable adults barred lists.
Your DBS check can only be requested by your employer. If you want to find out more about the DBS or an enhanced DBS check for a teaching assistant, visit the Disclosure and Barring Service today.
