This help centre article was written for childminders preparing for registration with the Koru Kids' Home Nursery service
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What is a DBS check
An enhanced DBS Check details any cautions, warnings, reprimands or convictions on an individual's criminal history.
What type of DBS check you need
All Koru Kids childminders must have a home-based enhanced DBS check and be on the update service.
Don’t worry - Koru Kids organise and pay for your DBS check for you.
We’ll just need you to sign up for the DBS update service and pay the £13 annual fee to keep yourself up to date.
Note: if you fail to maintain your update service subscription you will be liable for the cost of a new DBS check and new update service registration.
When do DBS checks happen
We’ll do a DBS check for you after you have completed your Koru Kids training courses and we have completed your background checks.
This will happen at around the same time as your first aid training so look out for emails from us about both.
You will not be able to become a registered childminder until you have completed your DBS check.
How DBS checks work
We’re partnered with Verifile who carry out our DBS checks for us.
You will receive an email from service@verifile.co.uk with login details and and link to their website
You'll need to submit a short online application form, including details of your previous address history from the past 5 years, and which documents you will show us to verify your identity.
We know you’ve given Koru Kids this information before, but Verifile also need this in order to carry out your DBS check.
We check your DBS documents in person at your Assessment Visit.
In order to verify your identity, you will need to show us at least three different documents.
Make sure you have original copies of all of your documents ready for your visit.
Once we have verified your identity, your DBS check will be sent off for processing.
You will receive a certificate when the check is completed. Koru Kids will also receive confirmation that your DBS check has been completed. We will then send you details on how to register to the update service, which you must do within 30 days of your DBS check being issued.
When do you not need to get a DBS check done
If you have a home-based enhanced DBS check and are currently on the update service, then we will not need to process another check for you.
You will need to upload a copy of your certificate when prompted at the detailed application form stage.
What happens when something shows up on a DBS (an amber DBS)
You will have the opportunity to disclose any cautions, warnings, reprimands or convictions at the detailed application form stage.
Having an amber DBS does not immediately rule you out from becoming a childminder.
If you would rather speak with one of the team over the phone about any disclosures, please email childminders@korukids.co.uk and we can arrange a call.
The safeguarding panel at Koru Kids will talk with you to find out more information.
It is important that we have full context of what happened, so please be completely honest.
We will then decide as a team whether or not to progress your application.
The safeguarding panel will look at each candidate on a case by case basis and decide whether or not they have any cause for concern for them becoming a registered childminder.
DBS checks for people you live with or regular visitors
We must process DBS checks for anyone over 16 who lives with you or regularly visits your home.
The definition of a regular visitor is someone who spends more than 3 hours a month in the premises during childcare hours.
We will ask for information to carry out these checks as part of the detailed application form.
You must let us know as soon as anyone in your home turns 16, or if someone over the age of 16 moves in with you.
You must also let us know if someone becomes a regular visitor (this means someone who spends more than 3 hours a month in the premises during childcare hours.
We cover the upfront cost of these additional DBS checks for people that live with you or regularly visit, but these costs will be deducted from your future earnings.
These people must also register for the update service however there is no charge for this. Please read more about the update service below
DBS update service
It is a requirement of your registration with Koru Kids that you have a valid enhanced home-based DBS registered to the DBS Update Service. It is your responsibility to maintain your annual update service subscription.
You, and anyone over the age of 16 who you live with or who is a regular visitor, must sign up for the DBS update service.
The DBS update service allows someone to check the live status of your DBS check at any time.
You must sign up to the DBS update service within 30 days of your certificate being completed. If not, you will have to pay for the cost of another DBS check.
We will send you instructions on how to sign up for the update service via email. It costs £13.00 per year.
DBS check costs
We pay for the Early Educator's DBS check.
We cover the upfront cost of any additional DBS checks for people that live with you or regularly visit, but these costs will be deducted from your future earnings.
You will need to pay for your, and any additional DBS checks, subscription to the update service.
- The update service only costs £13 a year.
- You will need to sign up to the update service within 30 days of your DBS check being completed. If not, you will have to pay for the cost of another DBS check.
DBS checks for assistants
All assistants must also have a home-based enhanced DBS check, and be on the update service.
Koru Kids will be vetting assistants on the behalf of Early Educators, so we will organise this.
Once the assistant starts working with an Early Educator, the cost of their initial DBS check will be repaid gradually by the Early Educator as part of the £200 for the assistant's training and background checks.
The assistant will have to pay the £13 annual fee for the DBS update service.
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Have any questions? Send us an email to childminders@korukids.co.uk