DBS check for kids club helpers

[ChickenDhansak82]

Not sure where to ask this, but I'll try here.

Someone I know runs a weekly one hour kids activity club as part of a franchise. She is DBS checked and is the named person who runs the club. Kids are dropped off for the hour and parents don't tend to stay.

Her husband also helps with the club every week and wears a staff uniform. He spent several months behind bars for ABH (over 20 years ago) but I always thought that having a criminal record for violence meant you couldn't then work with children? Or have I got that wrong?

Or is it only convictions of a crime against children that would mean you couldn't then work with children? (His ABH conviction was against another man that he beat up very badly over some petty argument).

A DBS check would indicate this offence and if the peron isn't barred form working with children, it is up to the organisation to carry out a risk assessment and decide if it is safe for that individual to work. I've employed someone who committed an armed robbery and was in prison for 10 years to work with kids before now as he was the best person for the job and was rehabilitiated. It's not an automatic no but some organisations play it safe reject most people with a violent offending history.

A DBS check tells the employer that an individual is not (or is!) barred from working with children and also any convictions.

If the employer doesn’t care about the violent offence there is nothing stopping them employing the person as a violent offence towards an adult wouldn’t necessarily put you on the automatic banned list.

I know a teacher with a conviction for assault. DBS will just show convictions. It’s then up to the organisation what choices to make with that information.

Thank you! That's really helpful.

I very much doubt any child is at risk with him and he seems really good with kids.

Just something very odd between him and his wife. He can be quite a narcissist at times and there have been a couple of occasions where she has called the police with him going AWOL after some sort of fight between them. They then put on all smiles and united front when together. Very bizarre couple! It just makes me wonder with the previous conviction and odd behaviour if there is something amiss.

Thank you everyone! :)

A lot of former criminals work with troubled teens and are often the best person for the job !

I agree! These are mostly younger kids but a few teenagers too. Nothing like direct experience to keep a potentially difficult teenager from making the wrong decision!