Guidance on DBS for overseas work
The Home Office should ensure explanatory guidance is issued, providing clarity to recruiting organisations and individuals concerning the use of the Disclosure and Barring Service scheme for work and volunteering outside the UK.
- In May 2023, the government stated that this recommendation was accepted (Government Response to IICSA Final Report, HM Government, May 2023).
- No published updated explanatory guidance on DBS use for overseas work and volunteering with children as specified has been identified to March 2026.
How was this evidence gathered?
Response
Accepted
Response
AcceptedOn 21 January 2021, the Home Office stated that the Disclosure and Barring Service signposts applicants to the International Child Protection Certificate if their work abroad makes them ineligible for Disclosure and Barring Service certificates. On 28 April 2022, the UK government stated that a working group – led by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – had identified the need for further clarity and guidance around the eligibility of roles within the sector for criminal record checks, through either the Disclosure and Barring Service or ACRO. The UK government confirmed that the guidance was being finalised. It also stated that it had commenced a review of the disclosure and barring regime in February 2022, to provide assurance on its effectiveness in safeguarding the vulnerable.