Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
It is vital to safely recruit staff and volunteers to work with children and young people. The DBS carry out checks on a person’s history and verify whether that person has any criminal convictions or cautions, so that employers can make informed and safe recruitment decisions.
Everyone working or volunteering within ‘regulated activity’ with children is required to have a DBS check. This is available via England Golf, and should be renewed every three years.
England Golf also requires those working in regulated activity to attend a Safeguarding and Protecting Children course (SPC), with online refreshers every three years.
The PGA carries out DBS checks in respect of club professionals.
Clubs and Counties working towards SafeGolf Accreditation will be required to complete a DBS check. Please see our SafeGolf and DBS FAQs.
All DBS applications are processed online. To start the process, applicants or clubs must contact dbs@englandgolf.org and provide the information requested below under the header ‘How to register for a DBS’. Please quote ‘DBS APPLICATION’ in the subject line of this email.
Volunteers or staff should not work with regulated activity until we have provided them with confirmation that their DBS check is complete and that they are suitable to be deployed.
How long does it take?
Once we have all of the information we require from you it can take up to 8 weeks to complete a DBS check. During busy periods there may be delays.
How much does it cost?
- Volunteers – disclosures are free, but there is a £9.60 charge for the online administration fee.
- Paid employees – disclosures costs £40 plus the £9.60 online administration fee.
Who needs a DBS?
To help you assess if you meet with the criteria set down by the Disclosure & Barring Service for a DBS check, please use the following flowchart.
* Regular is open to definition - it is suggested that annually would be insufficient but an argument for eligibility could be made if the individual does an activity once a month or several times over the summer period, for example.
**Supervision must be ‘reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure the protection of children’. It must be ‘regular and day to day’ (supervision must not be concentrated in first few weeks and then tail off). Supervision must be undertaken by someone who is in Regulated Activity themselves.
You are breaking the law if you apply for a standard, enhanced, or enhanced with barred list(s) DBS check if the role you have applied for is not eligible for that level of check.
As part of the online system we have created a list of roles. We realise that role titles at your club or county may not match precisely, but you can decide which one fits you best:
- Chaperones (Enhanced with the children's barred list check) – Those who are involved in caring for children during any overnight stay away from home and you are not the child’s parent or carer.
- Drivers (Enhanced with the children's barred list check) – Those who are involved in transporting children, other than their own child, by vehicle for reasons related to golf.
- Junior Organisers (Enhanced with the children's barred list check) – Those who are a lead or assistant organiser or co-ordinator for a golf club or county.
- Junior Team Managers (Enhanced with the children's barred list check) – Those who are a manager or assistant manager of a team comprising of juniors.
- Junior Overseers (Enhanced) – Those who carry out roles such as marking cards, showing children around the course, or generally helps out on a regular basis.
- Volunteer Golf Coaches (Enhanced with the children's barred list check) – Those who are golf coaches but are not employed as such or paid.
- Welfare Officers (Enhanced with the children's barred list check) – Those who deal with safeguarding and welfare matters and act as a point of contact for children and vulnerable adults.
Employed PGA professionals should apply through the PGA. England Golf are unable to process these applications.
Please bear in mind that, whilst your job title may differ slightly to those listed above, the role you fulfil may match a listed role. If you are unsure whether your non-specified role requires a DBS check please refer to the following government guidance.
The type of DBS check required will depend on how often an individual takes on the role and whether they are supervised by someone with a DBS Certificate and working in regulated activity. England Golf will decide this based on the information that you provide.
DBS Verifier
Each club and county should have a Verifier registered. This person is responsible for verifying the identity of all DBS applicants. DBS checks cannot be completed without a Verifier. To register a Verifier please contact dbs@englandgolf.org with the intended Verifier’s full name, their position within the club or county, and their email address.
How to register for a DBS
To register for a DBS check please send the following information in to dbs@englandgolf.org
- Name
- Email address (FADV require an email address that is not currently being used for any DBS applications or for DBS Verifier roles on the FADV Online system. If you are renewing your DBS check you can use the same email address again)
- Telephone number
- Postcode
- Date of Birth
- Role being undertaken
- Name of club/county
Once we have this information the applicant will be registered onto the online system and will receive an activation email with a link to start their online application.
On completing part one of the application the applicant will then need to take their chosen ID documents into the club to be verified. Once verified and payment has been made then the application is sent to the relevant bodies to be checked. This can take up to 8 weeks to complete.
Next steps
Once an application has been submitted to First Advantage (FADV) by England Golf, the club or county DBS Verifier will receive an email requesting that they verify the identity of the individual applying for a DBS. The applicant will then have to provide the Verifier with some valid form of identification such as a passport and/or a valid driving licence that confirms their name and current UK address.
Once the Verifier has verified an applicant’s identity, either the applicant or club/county will need to pay the relevant fee.
First Advantage (FADV) will then carry out the relevant checks. This can often take up to and over 8 weeks to complete, depending on the level of check being carried out.
After First Advantage (FADV) has carried out the DBS check, they will notify England Golf of the result, which will either be clear or adverse. The applicant will also receive their own certificate from First Advantage (FADV).
England Golf will then confirm the result of the DBS check to the relevant club or county, and give a decision on whether the applicant is able to carry out the desired role.
Please note that during the Covid-19 pandemic it is acceptable to verify an applicant’s ID by video calls or scanned documentation.
If you have any questions about eligibility for DBS checks, or any other issue relating to DBS checks, please email dbs@englandgolf.org or call 01526 351851.