Swim England
DBS FAQs for swim schools
7 October 2022Below are some frequently asked questions on DBS, which relate to swim schools. If the answer to your question is not provided, please call the Membership Services Department on 01509 640727 or alternatively email the team at [email protected].
DBS FAQs for swim schools
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Home Office which was established under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and started operating on 1 December 2012.
It helps organisations and employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children.
The DBS carries out the functions previously undertaken by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) for England and Wales and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
A volunteer is defined as a person engaged in an activity which involves spending time, unpaid (except for travel and other approved out-of-pocket expenses), doing something which aims to benefit some third party other than or in addition to a close relative. That it is not part of a course that will lead to paid employment. It is important to ensure you are selecting the correct volunteer status when setting up a DBS check.
This is the highest level of check available to anyone involved in regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of children or vulnerable adults. Enhanced Disclosures contain the same information as the Standard Disclosure but with the addition of any relevant and proportionate information held by the local police forces.
An Enhanced DBS disclosure is a record of all warnings, reprimands, cautions and convictions from local and national police records. Information may also be disclosed at the discretion of the Chief Police Officer if that information is deemed relevant to the role the individual is applying for.
Swim England Carries out two types of enhanced disclosures, an enhanced disclosure only and an enhanced disclosure with a check against the child barred list. To find out which enhanced disclosure is required for a specific role please refer to page 75 of our Wavepower document.
DBS do not make their checks compulsory. However, it is a condition of affiliation to Swim England (be it a swim school or other body that affiliates to Swim England) to accept our procedure that all helpers working closely with children or vulnerable adults and could find themselves in a one-one situation do complete the necessary checks.
As a member of an affiliated swim school or other body, individual members are automatically bound under Swim England Laws and Regulations to comply with the Swim England’s DBS checking process but, it is only required if an individual wants to take up a role which requires a DBS check. If an individual is unwilling to do so, they must not be used by the swim school in any role that requires a DBS as stated in Wavepower.
With the introduction of the Protection of Freedoms Act Swim England has introduced a new DBS online service provided by our partners First Advantage.
Swim Schools should now have access to the online service after being sent information on activating the account. If you do not have access, please contact [email protected].
Swim England is no longer accepting DBS paper applications unless prior agreement has been sort from the Swim England DBS Coordinator.
An average DBS check made through the online service takes 2 weeks. Until such time as clearance is confirmed by Swim England (an email will be sent to the swim school to confirm clearance) that individual will not be able to undertake the role applied for.
DBS checks are £14 for volunteer staff members and £54 for paid staff members. For those DBS checks that require payment an invoice will be sent to the swim school.
DBS checks have no period of validity as the information on the Disclosure is a snapshot in time at the date that the checks were completed and must be seen as just one part of a safe recruitment process.
However, Swim England require swim schools to get their paid staff and volunteers re-checked every three years. It is advised to renew in the third year, rather than let it run out.
With the introduction by the DBS of the Update Service any applications receiving their Disclosure Certificates after the 17th of June 2013 can now register with the Update Service. This will allow DBS Certificates to be reused when applying for similar jobs within the same workforce, child workforce, adult workforce or child and adult workforce and reduce the burden of red tape on employers.
This subscription service lets individuals keep their DBS Certificates up to date so they can take it with them when they move jobs or roles. Individuals will need to provide Swim England with consent to check the update service, we are not automatically notified of those individuals who have signed up for the service.
One of the government’s priorities is to overhaul the criminal records regime to give individuals greater control of their own information, allow DBS Certificates to be reused when applying for similar jobs within the same workforce, child workforce, adult workforce or child and adult workforce and reduce the burden of red tape on employers.
This subscription service lets individuals keep their DBS Certificate up to date so they can take it with them when they move jobs or roles. Individuals have 30 days from the issue date of the certificate to register it with the update service.
For a small annual subscription of just £16 (free for volunteers) applicants can have their DBS Certificate kept up-to-date and take it with them from role to role, within the same workforce, where the same type and level of check is required.
Benefits to applicants:
- Saves applicants time and money.
- One DBS Certificate is all applicants may ever need.
- Take their DBS Certificate from role to role within the same workforce.
- Applicants are in control of their DBS Certificate.
- Get ahead of the rest and apply for jobs DBS pre-checked.
Applicants can join the Update Service online at www.gov.uk/dbs.
Further information on this service including Applicants Guidance can be found at www.gov.uk/dbs.
If you wish for Swim England to check your DBS on the update service and add the DBS to your record, then you will need to complete a consent form which is linked below.
If the DBS registered with the update service was carried out via Swim England, then the consent form is all we need.
However, if the DBS registered with the update service was carried out by an external organisation, then we will also need to see the original DBS certificate. This will need to be posted to us along with the consent form. We recommend this is sent via recorded delivery.
Yes. If you think there is an error with your DBS check or you do not agree with any of the information, then please call DBS directly on 03000 200 190. Disputes must be raised with the DBS within three months of the date of issue of the Disclosure.
Yes, if you completed the DBS yourself and not through Swim England you must do a separate DBS check for each swim school you are employed by.
No, if you hold a Swim England DBS, your DBS will be valid against employment at any swim school affiliated to Swim England.
The Welfare Officer of the swim school or DBS lead of the facility/operator can check these if they have been set up as a verifier. Original identification documents must be produced.
Do not send your ID into Swim England; we do not check your documents.
They need to be taken to the DBS lead of the facility/operator requesting the check.
If you require further information, please contact [email protected] / 01509 640727. Alternatively, you may wish to contact the DBS helpline on 03000 200 190 or visit their website at www.gov.uk/dbs. Please also refer to the DBS’s Code of Practice, which can also be found on their website.
Yes – the Swim England DBS checking system is available to swimming teachers and swimming lesson provider staff members of affiliated clubs and swim schools. If you have any questions on whether you are eligible, please email [email protected].
You need to be aged 16 and over and be in a role that requires a DBS to have one carried out.
The swim school owner will need to contact [email protected] to request that new verifiers are added.
Once a DBS has been submitted to the DBS to be processed, we are unable to change the level of check. A new DBS would need to be submitted with the correct level of check.
If their previous DBS check is the right level of check for their new role then there is no need to carry out a new DBS check until the current one expires. E.g. Chaperone to Coach. However, if their previous DBS check is not the right level of check then they will need to have new DBS check carried out under their new role. E.g. Poolside Helper to Team Manager.
If any of the details do not match those inputted by the applicant, then you can either change the ID documents yourself as a verifier or you can reject the application back to the applicant to make the changes. Once the changes have been made then you can verify the application.