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The short answer
A barred-list check tells you whether someone is legally barred from certain work with children or adults. It is not part of every enhanced DBS check. Check whether the role allows you to request the children’s list, the adults’ list or both.
Scope: DBS in England and Wales; sector-specific rules may also apply
Two lists, with different purposes
DBS maintains a children’s barred list and an adults’ barred list. A person on a barred list must not do the regulated activity covered by that list. Having a conviction on a certificate does not, by itself, mean someone is barred. [1]
Do not assume that a certificate reporting no convictions answers the barred-list question. Check the level and the lists actually requested, then read the relevant certificate information.
Establish eligibility for each list
Check whether the role allows access to a barred list. Regulated activity is a common reason, but some other roles listed in the guidance also qualify. Check each list separately; do not automatically request both. [2]
For example, the DBS charity guidance distinguishes a children’s charity trustee’s governance role from additional regulated activity duties. Being a trustee alone does not allow a children’s barred-list check. [3]
Record each list separately in the assessment. If an event has both children and adults present, explain the qualifying duties for each workforce rather than selecting both lists on that basis alone.
Check what an existing certificate covers
An enhanced certificate without the required barred-list information cannot be upgraded by an Update Service status check. The status check relates to the certificate already issued; it does not add a missing list. [4]
After the September 2026 supervision change, review affected child-workforce roles and whether their existing certificates include the necessary information. [5]
Keep the organiser’s record precise: level, workforce, relevant list, issue date, and the basis on which the certificate was accepted. Avoid a single “DBS done” tick box.
Is there a separate or quicker check?
DBS Adult First is a restricted service connected to eligible adult-sector recruitment. It is not a general fast-track DBS check or a children’s barred-list service. Check the Adult First rules and the rules for your type of organisation before using it. [6]
For a charity event, plan recruitment around the complete process. Do not treat a partial result or an application tracking update as a recruitment decision.
If a person is barred or a safeguarding concern arises
A person barred from the relevant regulated activity must not undertake it. Tell your safeguarding lead and follow the relevant reporting procedure; do not try to resolve it by leaving the duties unchanged under a different job title.
Separately, an organisation may have a duty to make a barring referral where the legal conditions are met. Reporting to another regulator does not automatically meet your duty to report to DBS. [7]
Limit access to the information and document actions through the organisation’s safeguarding process.
Sources and further reading
Last accuracy check: 25 September 2026. We review this series monthly against official guidance. Follow the linked guidance for the full conditions and any later changes.
- DBS: barred lists and the referral process↩
- DBS eligibility guidance↩
- DBS: working with children in the charity sector↩
- DBS Update Service: employer guide↩
- DBS: September 2026 change to regulated activity with children↩
- DBS: guidance for employers and voluntary organisations↩
- DBS: making barring referrals↩
Government guidance is attributed to the bodies linked above. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, where applicable. This guide provides general information; decisions depend on the specific role and setting.