Safer Recruitment 2026: Key Updates on QTS, DBS Checks, Volunteers and Overnight Supervision

As schools and educational settings prepare for 2026, staying up to date with safer recruitment requirements is essential for maintaining compliance and protecting children and young people.

Safer recruitment is a critical part of safeguarding, helping schools ensure that suitable individuals are recruited to work with pupils. Recent updates and clarifications around Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), DBS checks, volunteers, and overnight supervision mean that schools should review their recruitment processes and policies to ensure they remain aligned with current expectations.

In this article, we explore the key safer recruitment considerations for 2026 and what schools need to do to strengthen their safeguarding practices.

What Is Safer Recruitment?

Safer recruitment is the process of attracting, selecting, and appointing staff and volunteers in a way that promotes the welfare and safety of children.

The process involves carrying out appropriate pre-employment checks, verifying qualifications and experience, assessing a candidate's suitability for a role, and ensuring safeguarding considerations are embedded throughout recruitment activities.

Schools, academies, colleges, and other educational settings should regularly review their recruitment procedures to ensure they meet the requirements of current safeguarding guidance and best practice.

QTS Requirements for Teachers

A key area of focus within safer recruitment is ensuring that teachers are appropriately qualified for their roles.

All teachers should either:

• Hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), or
• Be actively working towards achieving QTS through an approved route.

During recruitment, schools should verify teaching qualifications and confirm a candidate's professional status where applicable. Where a teacher is working towards QTS, employers should ensure appropriate evidence is available to demonstrate participation in a recognised training programme.

Verifying qualifications at the recruitment stage helps schools ensure pupils receive high-quality education from suitably qualified professionals while supporting compliance with safer recruitment expectations.

DBS Updates: When Is a Check Required?

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks remain one of the most important safeguarding measures within the recruitment process.

Schools should ensure they understand when DBS checks are required for staff, contractors, and volunteers.

For volunteers, a DBS check is generally required where the individual:

• Works at the school for more than three days within a 30-day period.
• Provides overnight supervision of pupils.
• Undertakes activities that meet the criteria for regulated activity.

Schools should maintain clear records of all DBS checks and ensure recruitment procedures accurately identify when checks are required.

Volunteers and DBS Risk Assessments

Volunteers make a valuable contribution to school communities, supporting activities ranging from reading programmes and classroom support to educational visits and events.

However, schools must take a risk-based approach when determining whether a volunteer requires a DBS check.

A documented risk assessment should be completed to determine the appropriate level of safeguarding checks. Factors to consider include:

• The nature of the volunteer role.
• The level of supervision provided.
• The frequency and duration of contact with children.
• Whether the volunteer will have unsupervised access to pupils.
• The setting in which the volunteer will be working.

Completing a thorough risk assessment helps schools make informed decisions and demonstrate that safeguarding risks have been appropriately considered.

Overnight Supervision and Residential Visits

Residential trips, overnight stays, and educational visits require additional safeguarding planning.

Adults providing overnight supervision should be subject to appropriate safeguarding checks, including DBS checks where required. Schools should ensure that all recruitment and vetting procedures are completed before the activity takes place.

When planning residential activities, schools should consider:

• Appropriate staffing arrangements.
• Supervision ratios.
• Accommodation and sleeping arrangements.
• Emergency procedures.
• Recruitment and safeguarding checks.
• Risk assessments for staff, volunteers, and activities.

Strong planning and clear safeguarding arrangements help create a safe environment for pupils while reducing organisational risk.

Recruitment Checklists: Supporting Compliance and Consistency

Recruitment checklists can help schools ensure all required checks are completed consistently and accurately.

A safer recruitment checklist should typically include:

• Identity verification.
• Right to work checks.
• Employment history review.
• Reference checks.
• Qualification verification.
• QTS confirmation where applicable.
• DBS checks.
• Barred list checks where required.
• Volunteer risk assessments.
• Single Central Record updates.

Using a standardised recruitment checklist can help reduce the risk of missed checks and support compliance across the organisation.

Strengthening Safer Recruitment Through Training

Having robust recruitment procedures in place is only one part of creating a safer environment for children. Staff also need the knowledge and confidence to apply those procedures effectively.

Regular training helps those involved in recruitment understand current safeguarding requirements, identify potential concerns, and carry out recruitment activities in line with best practice.

For school leaders, governors, HR professionals, designated safeguarding leads (DSLs), and recruitment managers, safer recruitment training can help strengthen decision-making and support compliance with safeguarding responsibilities.

Virtual College's Safer Recruitment Training course provides learners with an understanding of safer recruitment principles, relevant legislation, pre-employment checks, and best practice when recruiting staff and volunteers who work with children and vulnerable adults.

Find out more about our Safer Recruitment Training course.

Alongside safer recruitment training, organisations should ensure staff complete safeguarding training that is appropriate to their role and responsibilities.

Virtual College offers a wide range of safeguarding courses designed to help organisations develop a strong safeguarding culture and maintain compliance with current guidance.

Explore our Safeguarding Training courses.

By combining effective recruitment processes with high-quality training, schools can strengthen safeguarding arrangements and help ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

Preparing for Safer Recruitment in 2026

As schools review their recruitment procedures for 2026, several priorities should remain front of mind:

• Ensure all teachers hold or are working towards QTS.
• Apply DBS requirements correctly, particularly for volunteers and overnight supervision.
• Conduct documented risk assessments where appropriate.
• Maintain comprehensive recruitment checklists and records.
• Provide regular safer recruitment and safeguarding training for relevant staff.

Safer recruitment is not simply a compliance exercise. It is a fundamental part of safeguarding and plays a vital role in creating environments where children can learn, develop, and thrive safely.

By reviewing policies, strengthening processes, and investing in training, schools can continue to build safer educational settings and meet their safeguarding responsibilities with confidence.