DBS Checks for working with Refugees and Asylum Seekers
According to UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency), the UK currently hosts around 132,349 refugees, 77,245 pending asylum cases, and 4662 stateless persons. In light of recent events in Afghanistan, the Home Office has confirmed that the UK will be resettling 20,000 Afghan refugees over the next few years. 5000 of these are expected within the next year.
Volunteers are integral to many charities that assist refugees and asylum seekers. Without volunteers, charitable organisations would struggle to provide the care and assistance that they do. With the large influx of refugees expected over the coming years, refugee charities are hoping to see a rise in the number of people volunteering. This seems likely considering the number of people who have been offering up their homes to help accommodate the first wave of refugees coming from Afghanistan.
While refugee charities are desperate for volunteers, it is essential that they commit to best practice when it comes to safeguarding. Refugees are amongst the most vulnerable and exposed groups internationally, so it is important they are protected. A significant aspect of protecting these groups is ensuring that volunteers are subject to an appropriate DBS Check.
Defining a Volunteer
Although it may seem obvious who is and who isn’t a volunteer, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) have a strict definition of what constitutes a volunteer. The DBS definition of a true volunteer would be someone that answers ‘No’ to the following 4 questions:
Is the applicant in receipt of any payment (except for travel and other approved out-of-pocket expenses)?
Is the applicant on a Placement/Work Experience?
Is the applicant on a course that requires them to do this job role?
Is the applicant in a trainee position that will lead to a full-time role/qualification?
If ‘No’ is answered to the above questions, then the DBS would consider the applicant a volunteer. Volunteers can access discounted Enhanced DBS Checks (also known as Volunteer DBS Checks) if they meet certain eligibility criteria. This all depends on exactly what they are doing whilst volunteering.
Working with Adult Refugees
In most instances, people volunteering with adult refugees would only require a Basic DBS Check. A Basic DBS Check is the lowest level of criminal record check available to organisations and reveals any unspent convictions and conditional cautions. Although adult refugees are a vulnerable demographic, the roles of most volunteers wouldn’t meet the strict eligibility criteria for a Volunteer DBS Check.
The exception to this would be if the volunteer were providing health or personal care to a refugee due to an illness, disability, or age. They would also be entitled to the Volunteer DBS Check if they were responsible for transporting individuals who could not convey themselves for the same reasons.
Working with Child Refugees
In the majority of cases, if a volunteer’s role focuses mainly on supporting, teaching, or caring for refugees under the age of 18, they would be eligible for the Enhanced Volunteer DBS Check. The Volunteer DBS Check would reveal the following information:
Cautions
Warnings,
Reprimands,
Convictions (both spent and unspent).
A check of the Child’s Barred List (Optional dependent on eligibility)
Any relevant police notes.
The eligibility described here should be treated as a general rule of thumb. Eligibility can be an incredibly complex matter and can vary between roles that appear similar.
If you are working with volunteers and aren’t sure if they meet the eligibility criteria for a Volunteer DBS Check, get in touch! One of our advisors will be able to discuss your circumstances and the DBS Checks you need.
For more information about anything in this article, or, how our screening solutions can help you with your volunteers, you can give us a call on 01254 355688 or drop us an email at letstalk@personnelchecks.co.uk