DBS

[Allywill]

My daughter finished her PGCE and is currently registered with 2 Agencies for supply work. She has a DBS that she had prior to her PGCE as she was a volunteer in school. She used this DBS all through her PGCE and is currently working in a school this week via Agency 1. Agency 2 has messaged her that she needs to apply for another DBS through them as they have stricter procedures than other agencies and her current DBS is not acceptable. She will have to pay £40 for another and possibly pay a fee to the update service as well. all the info she can find on line suggests an enhanced DBS for volunteers in school is the same as for teaching? does she need to change it or is the agency just being difficult?

I'm surprised that she was able to use her original one while she was doing her PGCE. My daughter is currently doing a PGCE and was told she couldn't use the one she used when she was volunteering. In her case it was with different organisations, which might not be the case with yours.

If your daughter is old enough to work as a teacher, she is old enough to sort this out for herself.

I have found that each organisation / place I work wants their own dbs.

@ProfSprout

If your daughter is old enough to work as a teacher, she is old enough to sort this out for herself.

I have found that each organisation / place I work wants their own dbs.

yes thanks. she can sort it out. just thought i would ask the opinion of teachers on mumsnet as i have an account - you know to ask for help and advice. but yeh i’ll tell her to crack on without any help from anyone now she is an adult. ☹️

Can't help but I've had a similar problem for supply work through agencies. It annoys me that I have to pay out for a DBS renewal before getting any work, which they can't totally guarantee anyway.

You usually need a new DBS when you move schools/have new position involving working with children anyway so having to get a new one seems reasonable.

You also can't use a volunteer one for paid work (you get the volunteer one for free but have to pay for a job one).

I had the opposite issue. My work DBS wasn't acceptable to volunteer in my dd's school, so they got me another one. But this is 2 different London boroughs!

She could have been convicted of something between the date of the dbs and today. Essentially, they’re not worth the paper they’re written on but an agency needs to have the most up to date info possible to cover itself. If she puts the new DBS on the update service and renews every year, she shouldn’t need another DBS for most agencies.

I have an enhanced DBS at my school but had to get another to work with the same child outside of school time (SEN 1:1) but the cost was covered by the council so I am not sure how much it was and different areas of the country might have different bodies overseeing this ?

@Getawaywithit

She could have been convicted of something between the date of the dbs and today. Essentially, they’re not worth the paper they’re written on but an agency needs to have the most up to date info possible to cover itself. If she puts the new DBS on the update service and renews every year, she shouldn’t need another DBS for most agencies.

The old DBS is on the update service.

I had to get another DBS too, but the agency paid for it, having secured a long term contract.

If it’s an enhanced one on the update service the second agency are taking the piss.

Sadly she will need another
I have worked in the same place for a number of years but once I began volunteering at another institution they needed a new DBS-
They sorted it though.
It's harsh as she has to pay but it has to be.