Stronger security checks for adults working with children
Parents will be able to get Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks when hiring private tutors, carers and therapists, among others.
Under the current system, only those working for an organisation, such as a school or hospital, could request this information.
This change comes good on one of Professor Alexis Jay’s recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse - to make greater use of the Disclosure and Barring Service barred list to save children and vulnerable people from the horrors of abuse. It will come into effect from January 2026.
Minister for Prisons, Probation, and Reducing Reoffending, Lord Timpson, said: "Enhanced DBS checks provide clear, reliable information about individuals’ backgrounds, helping families and personal employers identify risks and keep those with harmful intentions far away from children and vulnerable adults."
Before this change, self-employed or personal employees could only access Basic DBS checks which only show unspent convictions and cautions.
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