35 Response Not Accepted Self-assessed

Mandatory DBS for work with children overseas

Recommendation

The Home Office should introduce legislation making it mandatory for: 1. all UK nationals and residents of England and Wales to provide a prospective employer overseas with an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate before undertaking work with children overseas which if in the UK would be a regulated activity; and 2. UK government departments and agencies to require their overseas partners to ensure that UK nationals and residents of England and Wales obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate before undertaking work with children overseas which if in the UK would be a regulated activity.

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
According to the Home Office's statement on 21 January 2021, legislating for employment practices in foreign countries was not considered an effective approach for making enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates mandatory for UK nationals working with children overseas. Instead, according to the UK government, it would continue to publicise the International Child Protection Certificate. The recommendation was not accepted. No further published evidence has been identified since May 2023.
How was this assessed?
Assessed by gemini-2.5-flash on 19 Mar 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
External sources searched: www.gov.uk, www.legislation.gov.uk, hansard.parliament.uk
Jurisdiction
England
Section Reference
E
Response
Not Accepted
Not Accepted UK Government
22 May 2023

On 21 January 2021, the Home Office stated that although part 1 of this recommendation envisaged placing the legal obligation of providing overseas employers with an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate on UK nationals, it would in effect amount to the UK government legislating in respect of employment practices in foreign countries. The Home Office stated that it did not consider this approach to be effective, and stated that it would continue to publicise the existence of the International Child Protection Certificate. Regarding part 2 of this recommendation, the Home Office stated that it recognised the need for government bodies to take reasonable steps to ensure that overseas partners have robust safeguarding policies, and that those partners carry out all appropriate criminal records checks along with broader recruitment checks such as references. It stated that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working to strengthen the employment cycle across the aid sector. This aims to prevent individuals with a known history of misconduct from working in the sector, regardless of their nationality. On 17 June 2021, the UK government stated that its position had not changed in relation to this recommendation. On 17 December 2021, the UK government stated that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office had set up a working group with the Home Office, Disclosure and Barring Service, ACRO and the Charity Commission to look at the issue of criminal record checks for the international aid sector.

Read Full Response
Source
Inquiry IICSA
Report Children Outside the United Kingdom Phase 2 Investigation Report 30 Jan 2020
Responsible Bodies
Home Office Primary
Recommendation age 6.1 yrs
Last formal update 1037 days ago