DBS Checks Extended to Supervised Volunteers From 1 September 2026

The Disclosure and Barring Service checking regime changes on 1 September 2026. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 removes the supervision exemption from the definition of regulated activity with children, bringing many supervised volunteers, and some paid supervised roles, into scope for enhanced DBS checks with children’s barred list information for the first time.

The change affects volunteers who teach, train, instruct, care for or supervise children frequently, on more than 3 days in a 30-day period, or overnight. Days are counted across every school, club and setting a person volunteers in, and a single overnight trip is enough on its own. Occasional helpers, such as parents assisting at a one-off event or on a daytime trip, remain outside the requirement.

For the many people who will face an enhanced check for the first time, the practical questions are what a check will disclose and what can be done about old cautions, arrests and other police records before applying. Our full guide to the September 2026 DBS changes covers who is in scope, the barred list implications, and the options for dealing with a record in advance.