DBS Checks and Safeguarding for Private Tutors: What Parents Can Ask

A private tutor DBS check is requested by the tutor and not by the family, because a parent hiring a self-employed tutor cannot request one for them; the parent's part is to ask for the certificate and read it properly. The check comes from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in four types, and the certificate shows which one the tutor holds. Reading it carefully and asking a few plain safeguarding questions gives a family a sound basis before the first lesson.

Whilst a certificate records what a DBS check found, it says nothing about where lessons happen, how online sessions are set up or whom a family would contact with a worry, so those questions belong in the same conversation as the certificate request. Asking them early, in writing where possible, tends to keep the arrangement clear for everyone.

What is a DBS check and what are the four levels?

A DBS check is a criminal record check carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service, and it produces a certificate recording what the check found. There are four types, and they run in order of how much they disclose, so the type named on a tutor's certificate tells a parent how far the check went. Narrowest first, the four types are as follows.

• Basic: unspent convictions and conditional cautions.
• Standard: spent and unspent convictions and cautions.
• Enhanced: the same as standard, plus any information held by local police that is considered relevant to the role.
• Enhanced with barred lists: the same as enhanced, plus whether the applicant is on the list of people barred from doing the role.

Can a parent request a DBS check for a private tutor?

No, a family hiring a self-employed tutor to teach their child cannot request a DBS check for them, because the tutor has to request one for themselves. The parent's part is to ask the tutor for the certificate and check it. Asking at the first conversation, before dates are fixed, keeps the request ordinary. A tutor who already holds a certificate can show it straight away, and one who does not can apply and show the result once it arrives.

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What should parents look at on a DBS certificate?

Three things on a DBS certificate need checking: whether the identity matches, whether the level and type are right for working with children, and the date of issue. Photo identification from the tutor, compared with the name and details printed on the certificate, settles the first; the second means reading which of the four types the certificate records and whether it relates to work with children.

The date of issue tells a parent when the information on the certificate was accurate, which is the point from which any later checking starts. Noting it down gives the family a simple record of what was seen on the day, which is useful if the arrangement continues for a long time.

What does the DBS Update Service add?

The DBS Update Service lets a tutor keep a standard or enhanced certificate up to date, and it lets a family check that certificate online with the tutor's permission. The practical step is to ask whether the tutor has signed up and, if so, to ask for their agreement to an online check. Registration is renewed through the service, so it is worth asking whether it is still active.

A tutor who is not on the service may still hold a certificate, but the family then has only the certificate itself to go on, which is why asking early is worthwhile. Where the tutor is registered, the online check and the certificate together give a fuller picture than either alone.

Does a DBS certificate have an expiry date?

No, a DBS certificate has no official expiry date, and the information on it is accurate only at the time the check was carried out. It is up to the person asking, which for a private tutor means the family, to decide when a new check is needed. A family can decide in advance when it will ask to see a current certificate, and agreeing that with the tutor at the outset tends to keep the request routine.

Do DBS checks cover time a tutor has lived abroad?

No, DBS checks do not cover time someone lived outside the UK, so a certificate says nothing about those years; the rules of the country they lived in apply. For a tutor who has spent time abroad, a parent can ask where they have lived and what, if anything, was arranged there. Asking in a friendly, routine way tends to work best, and the answer is then something the family can weigh alongside the certificate.

What other safeguarding questions should parents ask a private tutor?

Beyond the certificate, four plain questions are sensible to ask a private tutor before lessons begin: who the tutor is, where sessions happen, how online sessions are arranged and who to contact with a concern. Putting the answers in a short message keeps a record that both sides can refer back to, and a tutor who has worked with children will usually expect the questions.

• Who the tutor is: ask for a short account of their teaching background and how they can be contacted.
• Where sessions happen: ask for the location or platform before the first lesson.
• How online sessions are arranged: ask which platform will be used, and arrange for a parent to be nearby.
• Who to contact with a concern: ask for a named person and a way to reach them.

How are DBS checks handled when a family uses a tutoring service?

Families who arrange tuition through us can expect safeguarding to be checked before a placement begins, with tutors who work with children holding an enhanced DBS check and most remaining registered on the DBS Update Service for ongoing verification. The tutoring service page describes the approach, and the fees and pricing page sets out the fee.

Independent tutors, agencies and marketplaces each handle checks in their own way, so the same questions about certificates, sessions and contacts apply on every route.

Related guides

• Secondary school tutoring
• Primary school tutoring
• Fees and pricing
• How to find the right tutor for your child

Tutoring with Taylor Tuition

Families who come to us for this stage usually want a tutor who can diagnose where the marks are being lost and then build a steady routine around it, and that is how our programmes are set up. Our tutors are drawn from a pool in which more than half hold Qualified Teacher Status, around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and which includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools.

Sessions run online for families across the UK and internationally, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject. There is no registration fee. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check and families receive progress reports after sessions.