Dorset MP warns parliament DBS system is “failing” families
Vikki Slade has told MPs that families have ‘paid the price’ for DBS failings as checks for thousands of child-facing roles are not mandatory
A Dorset MP has warned Parliament that the current Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) system is “failing” families, after hearing repeated concerns about safeguarding gaps, long delays and barriers to checking carers’ credentials.
Mid Dorset and North Poole MP Vikki Slade raised the issue in the House of Commons, saying parents often assume robust protections are in place when they leave children at activities such as dance classes, scout groups or swimming lessons.
But she told ministers that thousands of roles involving unsupervised contact with children are only eligible for DBS checks, rather than being legally required to have them.
“Eligibility in itself is not protection, and families assume that protections exist where they simply do not,” she said.
Ms Slade also highlighted difficulties faced by families who employ carers or tutors in their own homes, saying many are unable to access DBS checks at all under the current system.
Her intervention followed months of conversations with Dorset families and was underpinned by what she described as a tragic safeguarding failure.
She told MPs the story of Lauren, a young girl who died in 2020 after being exposed to drugs.
“In November 2019, two separate safeguarding allegations were made about someone relating to the supply of Class A drugs to Lauren and her friend,” she said.
“That person was eligible for enhanced DBS clearance but it seems the relevant information never made it to the Disclosure and Barring Service. The teacher continued to work with children, and by August 2020 Lauren had died.”
Ms Slade said the DBS later told her that any failure to act lay with the employer or regulator, but she argued families had “paid the price for a system that is too complex, too slow and too optional”.
She also raised concerns about lengthy DBS delays in Dorset, with some checks reportedly taking up to 100 days, holding people up from starting jobs in education, care and voluntary roles.
Calling for reform, she urged the government to introduce mandatory registration for anyone working with children or vulnerable adults, a central clearance card held by individuals, faster digital processing and a public mechanism to report concerns.
Responding for the government, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said changes were already being introduced to allow self-employed workers and personal employees to access higher-level DBS checks.
“Those hiring personal carers, or families engaging private tutors, will have access to the same high level of check, including information about whether a person is barred,” she said.
Ms Slade welcomed the announcement, saying she was “thrilled” by the commitment, but added that further reform was needed to ensure the DBS system is truly worthy of the trust families place in it.