DBS Volunteer Rules Are Changing From September 2026: What You Need to Know
From 1 September 2026, an important change to the rules around volunteering with children will come into force in England. The change, introduced through the Crime and Policing Act 2026, removes the long-standing supervision exemption from the definition of regulated activity.
For many schools, colleges, childcare providers and charities, this means that volunteers who previously did not require an Enhanced DBS check with children’s barred list information will now need one.
If your organisation relies on volunteers, now is the time to review your safeguarding procedures and ensure you’re ready before the new rules take effect.
Need support? Call 0191 588 7980 or email info@staffvetting.com to speak with our vetting experts.
What’s Changing?
Until now, volunteers carrying out activities such as teaching, training, instructing, caring for or supervising children were often not considered to be in regulated activity if they were supervised by someone already in regulated activity, such as a teacher.
From 1 September 2026, that supervision exemption is being removed.
This means that supervised volunteers will now be classed as carrying out regulated activity if they:
- volunteer on more than three days within a 30-day period, or
- volunteer overnight, including between 2am and 6am.
Where these conditions are met, volunteers must have an Enhanced DBS check with children’s barred list information before undertaking regulated activity.
Who Will Be Affected?
The biggest impact will be on organisations that regularly use volunteers to work with children.
This includes:
- Schools
- Colleges
- Nurseries and childcare providers
- Youth organisations
- Sports clubs
- Charities working with children
- Faith groups
- Community organisations
Importantly, paid staff are largely unaffected, as employees working with children were already considered to be in regulated activity under the existing legislation.
Instead, the change primarily closes a safeguarding gap relating to volunteers who were previously exempt because they worked under supervision.
What Organisations Need To Do
If your organisation has volunteers who regularly work with children, now is the ideal time to review each volunteer role.
Ask yourself:
- Does this volunteer teach, supervise or care for children?
- Do they volunteer more than three times in a 30-day period?
- Do they attend overnight trips or residential activities?
If the answer is yes, they will most likely require an Enhanced DBS check with children’s barred list information from September.
It’s important to remember that it is a criminal offence for:
- a barred individual to engage in regulated activity, or
- an organisation to knowingly allow a barred individual to do so.
Ensuring the correct DBS checks are in place is therefore a key part of safeguarding compliance.
If you’re unsure whether your volunteers will be affected, it’s worth reviewing the official Department for Education guidance alongside your safeguarding procedures before the new rules come into force. View the full statutory guidance on GOV.UK.
Volunteers Working Across Multiple Organisations
One important clarification in the new guidance relates to people who volunteer in several different settings.
The qualifying period applies across all organisations combined.
For example, someone volunteering:
- one day at School A,
- one day at School B,
- one day at School C, and
- one day at School D,
within the same 30-day period would now be carrying out regulated activity, even though they only volunteered once at each individual school.
The government encourages organisations to work together where possible so volunteers do not need unnecessary duplicate DBS applications.
Overnight School Trips
The changes also affect residential visits.
Anyone volunteering on an overnight school trip will automatically be considered to be carrying out regulated activity and will require an Enhanced DBS check with children’s barred list information, regardless of whether they are supervised.
This provides greater consistency for safeguarding arrangements during overnight activities.
Preparing Before September
Although the changes don’t take effect until 1 September 2026, organisations should begin reviewing volunteer arrangements now.
By identifying which volunteer roles fall within the updated definition of regulated activity, organisations can ensure the correct DBS applications are completed in plenty of time, helping to avoid disruption at the start of the new academic year.
Ultimately, these changes are designed to strengthen safeguarding by ensuring that anyone who regularly works with children—whether paid or unpaid—is appropriately vetted. Reviewing your volunteer processes now will help keep your organisation compliant while continuing to provide a safe environment for children and young people.
If you’re unsure which level of DBS check your volunteers require, our team can help you determine the correct eligibility and guide you through the application process. Call 0191 588 7980 or email info@staffvetting.com to speak with our vetting experts.