The DBS was established under Part V of the Police Act 1997 and was launched in March 2002.

It is a safe, reliable and legal way to access information held by the Police and other agencies which may indicate if a person may be a risk to children or vulnerable adults.

There are 4 different levels of DBS check, these are: basic, standard, enhanced, and enhanced with Bared list check.  Which one you can apply for is determined by the role being undertaken and assessed by the amount of time an individual is in regulated contact with children or vulnerable adults.

By asking to see an individual’s DBS certificate, a club or county association can make considered decisions as to whether a person is suitable for the role they are applying for.
A person may have a disclosure detailed on their DBS certificate, but this does not mean they are necessarily unsuitable to work within your club or association.  A DBS forms part of the information which allows a club or county to make informed decisions.

It is important to recognise and understand that any DBS check reflects a moment in time. A new member may come to your club with a clear disclosure certificate from a previous employment but may have since committed a serious or relevant offence. A DBS check is only one tool that can be used to make informed decisions.

The full guidelines regarding safer recruitment in bowls can be found here and this can be used in conjunction with the NACRO guidence, which helps clubs and associations undertake a risk analysis of any potential volunteer or member.

In recent years volunteers have been able to opt to register for the online update when applying for a DBS check. This is a free service, and only requires the applicant to respond to the DBS service annually confirming that they are still in a voluntary position. Registering for the online update is very important as it effectively gives permission for certificate details to be held online and accessed remotely by other organisations or employers, thus also providing the possibility of extending the eligabilty of a DBS beyond the established 3 years if nothing new has been added to the certificate in the interceding 3 years. 

It is NOT necessary to carry out a new check on an ESMBA member who has already had an ESMBA DBS check in another club or area. The ESMBA lead safeguarding officer can tell you whether a person has had an acceptable check.

Application forms are available from the ESMBA lead Safeguarding officer, or your county Safeguarding Officer (CSGO).  The contact details for all CSGOs can be found on our Safeguarding contacts page.

You will need to complete the form and supply original identity documents to accompany your application. The ESMBA applications are processed through the British Crown Green Bowling Association (BCGBA) and the cost is currently £13.00 for each Enhanced DBS check.

The ESMBA has agreed that DBS checks conducted for the sport of bowls through BCGBA are valid for a period of three years from date of issue.

If however, the applicant registers for the online update service upon receipt of their certificate then following consent, an existing DBS certificate can be revalidated for a further 3 years if no new disclosures have been added in the interim time.  More information can be found on this volunteer’s service on the gov.uk website.

The ESMBA reserve the right to seek a re-check at any point if it has reason to believe there has been a cause for concern.

It is MANDATORY that people who regularly teach, train, supervise and/or are in sole charge of a child and/or vulnerable adult should have an enhanced DBS check. Regular contact is defined as ‘Frequently’ (unsupervised contact at least 3 times in a 30 day period).

Additionally, the ESMBA require those undertaking the following roles to hold a DBS certificate:

• ESMBA Officials including Umpires, Coaches, and Team Managers^*
• ESMBA Management Committee members
• Club Safeguarding Officers
• County Safeguarding Officers
• The National Lead Safeguarding Officer
• Any other person who has or is likely to have regular and relevant contact with children and/or vulnerable adults. Examples include Junior Coach/Junior Team Manager/ regular driver for the Junior Team

^*DBS certificates for Umpires and Coaches can have been issued through any of the five bowls codes from the BDA safeguarding panel by prior agreement.

It is a MANDATORY requirement that all ESMBA clubs providing any of the following, or similar, activities must have a CLUB SGO:

• Youth programmes
• School links
• Activities for vulnerable adults
• Junior tournaments
• Any other frequent/intensive activities for children and/or vulnerable adults

From 2028 it will be MANDATORY for ALL clubs to have a Club Safeguarding Officer, who has an approved DBS certificate and whose duties should include:

• To act as a point of referral for concerns for Club Members
• To implement and oversee protocols to keep junior members and Vulnerable Adults safe at club

More details on the role of a Club SGO can be found on our Club Safeguarding Role page.