What is Regulated Activity?
Regulated activity is the term related to certain roles that involve working with children or vulnerable adults, including care work and teaching. Any individual listed on the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) barred lists cannot work in such roles. Any organisation that recruits for roles involving regulated activities have a legal responsibility to carry out an Enhanced DBS check to ensure a job applicant is not barred from working in these roles.
All regulated activities are eligible for Enhanced DBS checks which will look at children’s and/or adult’s barred lists. This will uncover whether or not the applicant has committed a criminal offence that makes them unsuitable for working with children or vulnerable adults.
Regulated activity involving children includes
- Working unsupervised with children
- Overseeing or supervising an individual who is working in regulated activity with children
- Providing advice or guidance on a child’s well being
- Fostering/adopting a child
- Driving a vehicle for children i.e. school bus
- Supervising children
Regulated activity involving adults includes
- Providing healthcare: Including healthcare work, which is undertaken by (or supervised by) a healthcare professional and incorporates all form of health care relating to physical or mental health.
- Providing personal care: Involving hands-on physical assistance with washing, dressing, toileting and eating due to an adult’s age, illness or disability; teaching/ supervising someone to do these tasks is also included.
- Assistance with general household matters such as dealing with an adult’s cash, bills or shopping due to their age, illness or disability, but arranged via a third party.
- Supporting the conduct of an adult’s own affairs under a formal appointment i.e. lasting power of attorney under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
- Conveying adults for reasons of age, illness or disability.