March 2020
Temporary arrangements have been put in place by the Home Office and Disclosure and Barring Service in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
These arrangements will provide DBS checks and fast track emergency checks of the adults’ and children’s barred lists free of charge, (only ARCs admin fee will be applicable for these checks), to healthcare and social care workers being recruited in connection with the care and treatment of COVID-19.
They will also provide employers with the option to appoint new staff into regulated activities with adults, children or both, as long as the individuals are not barred.
Organisations should also ensure that they have adequate measures and supervision in place to manage the individual until the full DBS check is received.
Before accessing the new fast track service please consider the following points:
- Has the person you are looking to employ had an enhanced with barring list check in the last 3 years, as long as it is for the same workforce, consider whether you can use the recent check to determine suitability for the role applied for
- Does the person you are looking to employ have an existing subscription to the Update Service using a DBS Enhanced with Barred List Check, assess the suitability of the applicant using the original certificate and a check of the Update Service
- As a temporary measure where you are recruiting into paid employment you may consider accepting checks previously issued for volunteer roles. Please note: this step should only be taken for roles eligible for the Fast track service.
Employers are also reminded that any decision to use previously issued DBS checks should be made at a local level as part of a wider risk assessment.
Eligible Roles for Emergency Fast-track System
The Fast-track service is available from Monday 30th March 2020, with the exception of those ‘emergency volunteers’ referenced in point ‘h’. Services for this group will commence at a later date to be advised.
a. by a person who is registered, or who the Registrar is considering registering,
as a nurse, midwife or nursing associate (individually or as part of a specified group) under article 9A of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (temporary registration in emergencies involving loss of human life or human illness etc);
as a nurse, midwife or nursing associate (individually or as part of a specified group) under article 9A of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (temporary registration in emergencies involving loss of human life or human illness etc);
b. by a person who is registered, or who the Registrar is considering registering,
as a member of a relevant profession (individually or as part of a specified group) under article 9A of the Health Professions Order 2001 (temporary registration in emergencies involving loss of human life or human illness etc);
c. by a person who is registered, or who the regulator is considering registering,
as a social worker (individually or as part of a specified group) under regulation 12A of the Social Workers Regulations 2018 (temporary
registration in emergencies involving loss of human life or human illness etc);
as a social worker (individually or as part of a specified group) under regulation 12A of the Social Workers Regulations 2018 (temporary
registration in emergencies involving loss of human life or human illness etc);
d. by a person who is registered, or who the registrar is considering registering,
as a social worker (individually or as part of a specified group) under section 83A of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (temporary registration in emergencies involving loss of human life or human illness etc);
as a social worker (individually or as part of a specified group) under section 83A of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (temporary registration in emergencies involving loss of human life or human illness etc);
e. by a person who is registered, or who the Registrar is considering registering,
as a fully registered medical practitioner (individually or as part of a specified group) under section 18A of the Medical Act 1983 (temporary registration with regard to emergencies involving loss of human life or human illness etc);
as a fully registered medical practitioner (individually or as part of a specified group) under section 18A of the Medical Act 1983 (temporary registration with regard to emergencies involving loss of human life or human illness etc);
f. by a person who is registered, or who the Registrar is considering registering,
as a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician (individually or as part of a specified group) under article 34 of the Pharmacy Order 2010 (temporary
entry with regard to emergencies involving loss of human life or human illness etc);
as a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician (individually or as part of a specified group) under article 34 of the Pharmacy Order 2010 (temporary
entry with regard to emergencies involving loss of human life or human illness etc);
g. for the purposes of considering the applicant’s suitability for employment for
the purposes of providing, or being engaged to provide, NHS health services or social care services* (see definitions at the end of this annex) in connection with, or in consequence of, the provision of care or treatment to a person who has, or is suspected of having, coronavirus disease as defined by section 1 of the Coronavirus Act 2020, whether or not in respect of that disease.
the purposes of providing, or being engaged to provide, NHS health services or social care services* (see definitions at the end of this annex) in connection with, or in consequence of, the provision of care or treatment to a person who has, or is suspected of having, coronavirus disease as defined by section 1 of the Coronavirus Act 2020, whether or not in respect of that disease.
h. from a person who is approved by the appropriate authority,
or who the appropriate authority is considering approving, as an emergency volunteer in health or social care under section 9(8)(a) of the Coronavirus Act 2020.*Definition of NHS health services and social care services:
or who the appropriate authority is considering approving, as an emergency volunteer in health or social care under section 9(8)(a) of the Coronavirus Act 2020.*Definition of NHS health services and social care services:
“NHS health services” means—
(a) in relation to England, any kind of health services provided as part of the health service continued under section 1(1) of the National Health Service Act 2006 (Secretary of State’s duty to promote comprehensive health service);
and
(b) in relation to Wales, any kind of health services provided as part of the health service continued under section 1(1) of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006 (Welsh Ministers’ duty to promote health service);
(a) in relation to England, any kind of health services provided as part of the health service continued under section 1(1) of the National Health Service Act 2006 (Secretary of State’s duty to promote comprehensive health service);
and
(b) in relation to Wales, any kind of health services provided as part of the health service continued under section 1(1) of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006 (Welsh Ministers’ duty to promote health service);
“social care services” means—
(a) in relation to England—
(a) in relation to England—
(i) adult social services as defined in section 97(1) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (general interpretation) and services which are
the same as services which could be provided by a local authority in exercise of any of its adult social services functions as defined in
section 97(1) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, whoever provides them; and
the same as services which could be provided by a local authority in exercise of any of its adult social services functions as defined in
section 97(1) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, whoever provides them; and
(ii) services provided or commissioned in relation to children by a local authority in the exercise of its social services functions as defined in
section 1A of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 (meaning of “social services functions”) and the duties described in sections 23C to 24D of the Children Act 1989 (duties in relation to relevant former children and other young persons);(b) in relation to Wales, services provided or commissioned by a local authority in Wales in the exercise of its social services functions as defined in section 143 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (social services functions of local authorities) and services which are the same as services which could be provided by a local authority in Wales in exercise of any of its social services functions, whoever provides them.
section 1A of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 (meaning of “social services functions”) and the duties described in sections 23C to 24D of the Children Act 1989 (duties in relation to relevant former children and other young persons);(b) in relation to Wales, services provided or commissioned by a local authority in Wales in the exercise of its social services functions as defined in section 143 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (social services functions of local authorities) and services which are the same as services which could be provided by a local authority in Wales in exercise of any of its social services functions, whoever provides them.