What DBS checks does your faith-based charity need for youth and vulnerable-adult work?

If your faith-based organisation runs a youth group, a supplementary or faith school, a luncheon club for older members, or any activity involving children or vulnerable adults, you will need to think carefully about background checks. Getting the level right is both a safeguarding duty and a legal one — ask for too little and you may leave people unprotected; ask for too much and you can fall foul of data-protection and rehabilitation-of-offenders rules.

This article explains the levels, the all-important concept of "regulated activity", how the rules differ across the UK, and an important change now moving through Parliament that particularly affects faith communities.

First, the key idea: "regulated activity"

Almost everything about background checks turns on one concept. Regulated activity is a legal definition of the most sensitive kinds of work with children or with adults at risk — the work that unlocks the highest level of check. Broadly, it covers close, regular or intensive contact: teaching, training, instructing, caring for or supervising children; or providing personal care, healthcare, or certain assistance to vulnerable adults.

Whether a role counts as regulated activity drives which check you're legally allowed to request. You cannot simply choose the highest check for everyone — you must match the check to the role.

The four levels of DBS check (England and Wales)

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) issues four levels:

• Basic — shows unspent convictions only. Anyone can apply for their own. Suitable as a general check where no eligibility for higher levels exists.
• Standard — shows spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings. Used for certain positions of trust.
• Enhanced — everything in a standard check, plus any local police information considered relevant to the role. This is the level commonly needed for roles working with children or vulnerable adults.
• Enhanced with barred-list check — the highest level. It adds a check against the children's barred list, the adults' barred list, or both. This is reserved for roles that meet the regulated activity definition.

The two barred lists are records of people legally prohibited from working with the relevant group. It is a criminal offence to employ someone in regulated activity who is on the barred list for that group — and an offence for a barred person to apply.

Most faith organisations running youth work or vulnerable-adult work will be looking at enhanced checks, with a barred-list check where the role is regulated activity. If you're unsure whether a specific role qualifies, use the official eligibility tool on GOV.UK rather than guessing.

Children and vulnerable adults are assessed differently

A subtle but important point: the two are defined differently. Children's regulated activity often depends on the frequency and nature of contact and whether it's supervised. Adults' regulated activity is defined more by the activity itself — providing personal care, for instance, can count even if done only once. Don't assume the rule that applies to your youth work also applies to your work with older or disabled members.

The UK is not one system — check your jurisdiction

This is where many UK-wide faith bodies slip up. The DBS covers England and Wales only. The equivalents are:

• Scotland — Disclosure Scotland, including the PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) Scheme for regulated work.
• Northern Ireland — AccessNI.

The levels, terminology and rules differ. If your organisation operates across borders, you must satisfy the relevant scheme in each nation — a DBS check does not simply carry over.

A change to watch: regulated activity and faith settings

This area is currently moving. In early 2026 the government announced, as part of the Crime and Policing Bill, a proposal to remove the "supervision exemption" from the definition of regulated activity. At present, some roles where an adult works with children under supervision fall outside regulated activity; the proposed change would bring more of those supervised roles within scope, meaning more people would become eligible for the higher level of check.

This matters especially to faith communities, where a great deal of children's work is done by supervised volunteers. In April 2026 the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Safeguarding in Faith Communities launched an inquiry into how well the regulated-activity definition works for faith settings. (Correct as of June 2026 — this is a developing legislative position; check the current status before relying on it.)

The practical takeaway: keep your safeguarding recruitment under review, because the threshold for who needs the highest check may widen.

A check is not a safeguarding policy

Finally, a background check is one tool, not a complete answer. It tells you about a person's record at a point in time; it does not replace references, safer-recruitment practices, induction, training, supervision and a culture where concerns can be raised. Certificates have no formal expiry, so most organisations set their own renewal cycle (commonly around every three years) and use the DBS Update Service to monitor changes between renewals. And remember the duty that runs the other way: if someone is removed from a regulated role because they pose a risk of harm, you may have a legal duty to refer them to the DBS.

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This article is general information, not advice. Rules and figures change and can depend on your circumstances. Check the current position with the DBS, Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI, your safeguarding lead, or get in touch and we'll help.

Sources verified (June 2026):

• GOV.UK, Regulated activity with children / adults and the DBS eligibility guidance — https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dbs-eligibility-guidance
• GOV.UK, Types of DBS check — https://www.gov.uk/dbs-check-applicant-criminal-record
• Thirtyone:eight, Regulated activity timeline (Crime and Policing Bill supervision-exemption proposal; APPG for Safeguarding in Faith Communities inquiry, April 2026) — https://thirtyoneeight.org/blogs/regulated-activity-timeline/
• Disclosure Scotland (PVG) — https://www.mygov.scot/pvg-scheme ; AccessNI — https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/accessni-criminal-record-checks