Information and forms for academy trust chairs of trustees applying for an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate.

Update

The process to conduct suitability checks for a newly appointed chair of trustees has changed.

If you require an enhanced DBS certificate, please email [email protected].

Introduction

All academy trust chairs of trustees must apply for an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate and have their application countersigned by the Secretary of State for Education. This needs to take place prior to the chair of trustees taking up their position.

All new chairs of trustees require a new enhanced DBS certificate, regardless of positions held previously at a different trust. Only chairs of trustees with an enhanced DBS certificate from the same school prior to converting to an academy trust are exempt.

DBS certificates only need to be countersigned by the Secretary of State for the chair of trustees. The chair of trustees is responsible for ensuring that other members and trustees have an up-to-date enhanced DBS certificate but these do not need to be countersigned by the Secretary of State.

The regulations setting out the standards that all schools need to adhere to in order to keep children safe are:

Support with your application

If you have any questions about enhanced DBS disclosure checks for chairs of academy trusts, please send in an enquiry form.

Published 8 May 2018
Last updated 8 June 2020 + show all updates

  1. Updated page to reflect a temporary change in the application process from paper-based to email.

  2. Updated our form used to get a countersignature from the Secretary of State. New address to send completed forms.

  3. First published.

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