AIBU to think anyone involved in teaching children should be BDS checked?

[requestingsunshine]

This is a childs sports club. Not volunteers but a paid for club and not linked to school or anything.

Am I right in thinking that anyone involved in the coaching of the DC, especially when they are left in sole charge of the DC should be DBS checked?

OP, do the classes run in a community building, hired space or similar, or does the dance school own it's own property outright?

If it's the former you could always raise concerns with whoever owns / runs the venue.

If it's the latter it's surprising he would own his own business premises yet still be paying cash in hand and running everything on the cheap. Makes me think he's probably avoiding business rates, and question if he has proper liability insurance too. That might be worth looking into.

I have voted YABU simply because a BDS check means bugger all really, it only means someone hasn't been caught. There are plenty of people working with children that have been cleared to work with them that abuse them. Nearly every week a teacher is in court for sleeping with a pupil.

I would have thought in the scenario you are describing that they should be DBS checked - yes .

I've just checked our corporate policy. I'm shocked to learn that you only need a DBS at recruitment and after that you only need to provide info on criminal convictions.

I have an online DBS so it is always current and I'm happy for it to be checked.

My previous health authority used to check it quarterly. My current one hasn't checked it at all. They saw my certificate when I started work... But not since. That really scares me.
I would want to know if my child's activity was provided by people who couldn't demonstrate they had no convictions.

@GreenBooks its a rented building as far as I know. So not owned by the company owner but the entire space is rented for the purpose of the dance school.

Yes, the question about the building may be relevant.

If an organisation is hiring space, there are often clauses in the hire agreement about safeguarding if the activity involves children being supervised in that space. Not always, but it does affect a few things that the hirer could be held responsible for, if the party who is hiring doesn't comply.

it depends there are guidelines for volunteers firstly anyone leading or being alone with young people or involved in overnights must be disclosed, so must anyone doing it regularly defined as an hour a week or more than two hours in a stretch,
a parent helper at scouts who does 1 week in 6 and basically just helps with tuck shop or retrieving balls for a game does not, basically if a second adult helper is always within eyesight /earshot of DBS checked adult
the volunteer section was getting very feed up of doing free checks for disclosures for every parent in a group so maybe 10-20 new disclosures a year for just helpers and so put in guidelines to prevent it
a parent doesn't need a disclosure to help put chairs out for school christmas concert or to help at PTA summer fair
it would be logical that those supervising dressing and undressing would be disclosed but not necessarily a parent helper dishing out hula hoops

this tells you whether a discloure is required www.gov.uk/find-out-dbs-check/y also this
"Screening School Volunteers
Whether you are required to have a DBS check or not depends on whether you will have regulated activity with a child (find out more about regulated activity here) and how often you will be volunteering.
If you will be volunteering at a school once a week or more, on 4 days within any 30-day period or overnight, you will be expected to agree to an Enhanced DBS Check. However, if you will be volunteering for a one-off event, checks are at the school’s discretion.
There are some exceptions where you will also have to have an enhanced DBS check and the barred list should be consulted. These include, if you will be helping an ill or disabled child eat or drink, go to the toilet, wash or dress, and if you will be providing health care to children.
If you will have unsupervised contact with children for any period of time you will also be required to have your name checked against the barred list to make sure you haven’t been banned from working with young people or children.
Volunteers who will be communicating with children by telephone or internet on a regular basis will also need these in-depth checks."

I had to have a full DBS to go on a Scouting "family camp" as a parent. I wasn't any kind of helper or leader, just there with my own kid (and all the other kids had a least one parent there).
I think most responsible organisations dealing with kids or vulnerable adults normally do it - and would advertise as such. If it's anything to do with school, then it's non-negotiable.