REMOVAL OF SUPERVISION EXEMPTION FROM REGULATED ACTIVITY WITH CHILDREN
Forthcoming amendments to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 (SVGO) will remove the supervision exemption from the definition of regulated activity involving children.
These will come into effect on 1 September 2026 and apply to Northern Ireland as well as England and Wales.
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As a result, individuals who frequently undertake roles involving teaching, supervision, instruction or care of children, will be considered to be engaged in regulated activity, irrespective of whether they are supervised. They will therefore be eligible for an enhanced with children’s barred list check.
The Department of Health owns the SVGO and has noted the future change on its website:
- https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/regulated-activity-relation-children
- https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/regulated-activity-children-supervision-activity-children-which-regulated-activity-when-unsupervised
This means that any organisation making a disclosure application from 1 September 2026, will be required to request a Children’s Barring List check for anyone undertaking any of the above roles, even if they are being supervised.