PARENT VOLUNTEER - DBS Check?

[user1494283706]

Are primary schools required to carry DBS checks on every parent who becomes classroom parent volunteers for minimum 1 hour per week? Or is it a decision discretionary made by the headteacher?
What about is a parent does three hours per week voluntary work in classroom or more?
My assumption is should the parent volunteer on special occasions only no DBS check is required, and the volunteer should not be left unattended with a child, but if the volunteer assists weekly, then a DBS check is required.
Am I right or wrong?
I can't find anything on the subject online.
Thank you for the clarification.

I believe I have found the answer to my question just now!

www.cbscreening.co.uk/news/post/i-need-dbs-check-volunteer-school/

'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.'

Can you imagine the outrage if something happened involving a parent helper & it came out that the school hadn’t done a dbs? I would think a School very foolish if they didn’t carry out a dbs just to cover themselves.

I think that any volunteer in a school should be checked. They can not possibly be supervised all the time. They could slip out of their classroom to follow a child quite easily. And would all teachers know who has and has not got a dbs? Who they are and are not allowed to leave alone. What if it’s a supply teacher and they send the unchecked volunteer out with a group of children? Surely any head teacher worth their salt would be insisting on a dbs before the volunteer starts?

All parent volunteers who help during school hours have to be DBS checked at my DC school (even if it’s a one-off). However, they don’t need to be checked if they’re helping at things like the Xmas fair

In response to nancy's post, I find it sad that we (as a society) are moving towards/have already moved towards doing things in order to cover our backs, rather than in order to (in this case) keep children safe.

And then confuse the two with each other.

Common sense, supervision, and personal judgement should always be applied; having a DBS check in place does not absolve a school from doing this. Equally, not having a DBS check in place, a HT can still judge that accepting volunteer help is perfectly safe in specific circumstances (e.g. Christmas fair). The focus IMO should be on keeping children safe, not on covering our backs in case something does go wrong.

brilliotic, I actually agree with everything you've said but the truth is most parents place a lot of value on people dealing with their children having a DBS.

I work for a sports provider that teaches children - almost all new parents ask about DBS checks before anything else.
What most people don't think about is that a DBS is a bit of paper that tells you I haven't been convicted of a crime, it doesn't mean I haven't committed a crime or make me in anyway a good person!

Please do bear in mind that child predators are opportunists.
Not doing a DBS check on parent volunteers is an open the door to opportunists.
A DBS check is a deterrent.
Of course, it doesn't mean all children predators. People with violence and anger management issues, etc. have a DBS.

Of course, it doesn't mean all children predators, people with violence and anger management issues, etc. have a DBS record.

Any DBS check only shows up those who get caught so applicant could easily still have anger issues etc. It used to only be that those left unsupervised with children needed one but think it is now a general recommendation for those working in schools or with vulnerable adults, whether paid or a volunteer, as part of Safeguarding policies.

It shouldn't be an issue if a volunteer in school is never alone with a child. We used to have parents who came in just to do wall displays, cover books etc. No need for them to have checks, I'd have thought.

There is Kaya. Governors do and they are rarely alone with children. Any helper should have one if they regularly do displays or cover books because they could be with children. Also a parent helper on a school trip. The safeguarding policy of the school should make it clear.

It is for the school to make a decision on who they should check for a DBS.
I agree that it is better to do all who volunteer, so that nobody feels as though they are being singled out and actually it is significantly easier to manage for the school.
As others have said, having a DBS is actually only a fig leaf, though I accept that many parents feel more secure with a person having a DBS check. Maybe if they realised that it is possible to have a DBS check with nothing showing up but someone is actually banned from teaching in schools, then they may realise that it is not that much of a security blanket. Interestingly there is a prohibition list for England and a separate one for Wales, which does not sound sensible to me but is the reality.

I should have made it clearer- our working parties had no contact with the children.

Op I agree with your original post and the link you found. If an adult is in a position where they could develop a relationship / groom a child then DBS essential. For occasional helpers who do the odd school trip and are not left alone, then it’s an unnecessary cost.

@admission According to various research it is standard procedure to ask parent volunteers who will assist in classrooms on a weekly basis, for a minimum of one hour per week, to have a DBS check.
Here is an interesting article on the subject:
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/classroom_helpers/

@MiaowThe Cat Are you stalking me or are you a fan? Because whatever thread I start you always have to make comments to try to put me down.
I never said it is a standard procedure I said according to various research it is a standard procedure. I suggest you stop reading between the lines and go and find someone else to annoy (harass).
Thank you.

Thank you @Lifechallenges. I appreciate your comment.

@nancy75 and @brilliotic I agree with both your comments.

@MiaowTheCat I have reported you to Mumsnet Let me remind you that you are the one making disrespectful comments on each thread I start not the reverse.

AHEM.