Any PSOs who can advise re level of DBS please

[ChoccyJules]

I am the PSO at church and my DBS is due for renewal. The latest guidelines from our Diocese SG team requires me to have a Basic check. Me and the DBS checker queried this because we thought I would need an enhanced one, being a point of contact for people and the potential of having young people come to me with concerns. Our new DBS company has come back and said no, Basic one only.

We have posters up in church with details of three Listeners (including me), whom people can approach with any concerns (one male, one female, one younger female so closer socially to the youth). The others both have enhanced checks for this role.

In the past I have always been involved with the children’s work so it wasn’t an issue as I needed the Enhanced Children check anyway. I have recently stood down from that area.

Should we say I am a Listener for my role, not PSO, and ask for enhanced? I can’t understand why it wouldn’t be obvious that a PSO has this role anyway, whether or not the church has extra people also doing it.

Does this tally with what others are doing in terms of their DBS, please? Thanks.

we have this issue a lot, diocese requires a dbs yet company we use says no. I generally just fudge it by enhancing their role descriptions. I am a pso and have enhanced with barring, seems the right approach as I check others people’s information for their DBS and crucially am involved with managing safeguarding cases including liaising with probation. For the latest person we added that she occasionally shops for people (true) which meant she qualified for adult.

Yes, I would have thought that managing any safeguarding concerns would automatically mean I need more than a Basic but apparently not.

The Diocese seem to agree, which I am surprised about.

What is a PSO?

I think there has been issues with people having enhanced DBS checks that don’t actually need them. Although that doesn’t seem to apply in the OP’s case. I told I do through church used to do enhanced checks on all volunteers, but no longer does so as I think they were advised they couldn’t ask for so much person information from people. Which seems very odd to me.

It’s a Parish Safeguarding Officer.

Oh of course. Can’t believe I couldn’t work that out.

I work for a DBS company. We often point people to some helpful guidance leaflets: DBS checks for working with children in places of worship - GOV.UK

Given what you have said, I think an Enhanced would be applicable.

I agree that it seems bizarre that an enhanced may not be required. However as I am on the PCC and Children’s worker I have an enhanced.

The guidance posted by @LornaBeechwould indicate that I would need enhanced without barred list. As I may be providing emotional support to children (eg if they disclose something to me) but not several times a month. The Diocese are still saying Basic.

I guess you can pay for enhanced yourself? I agree it would be better if they did do it for everyone who might confidentially advise a vulnerable person.

I assume this is unpaid...which means you get a volunteer Enhanced for free.

But there is no Basic free version. So £21.50 for a basic, versus just the umbrella admin fee for the Enhanced (circa £8-12).

We do DBS for loads of churches of different types.