The Children’s Barred List
The Children’s Barred List is the list, maintained by the DBS, of people barred from regulated activity with children. It is checked only as part of an Enhanced check with a barred-list check, and only where a role is regulated activity with children.
This guidance is maintained by the Complys team and reviewed against the primary DBS / GOV.UK sources listed above (last reviewed 24 September 2026). It is general information, not legal advice, and DBS rules can change — always confirm against the official sources.
What being barred means
A person on the Children’s Barred List must not take part in regulated activity with children. It is a criminal offence for a barred person to seek or carry out that work, and for an organisation to knowingly permit it. [GOV.UK] The barred-list check exists precisely so that eligible organisations can establish this before a person starts regulated activity.
Being barred is not the same as having a criminal record, and the two are recorded differently. A barred-list result records a barring decision; the criminal-record sections of a certificate record convictions, cautions and, on an Enhanced check, relevant police information. A person can be barred without every detail appearing elsewhere on the certificate.
When the list is checked
| Check | Children’s Barred List checked? |
|---|---|
| Basic check | No |
| Standard check | No |
| Enhanced check (no barred-list element) | No |
| Enhanced check with Children’s Barred List (regulated activity with children) | Yes |
So the barred-list check follows from regulated activity: establish whether the role is regulated activity with children first — the barred-list element is not something an employer can simply add “to be safe” to a role that is not eligible for it.
How people are barred, and the duty to refer
Barring decisions are made by the DBS, not by employers. Some are automatic (in some cases with the opportunity to make representations, in others without) and some are discretionary following a referral. [GOV.UK]Employers have their own responsibility here: if you remove someone from regulated activity with children — or would have, had they not left — because they harmed or risked harm to a child, you may have a legal duty to refer them to the DBS. Confirm the precise duty for your circumstances against the official guidance.
Not sure which level applies?
Our free DBS eligibility guidance checker walks you through the official criteria and points you to the guidance to confirm against. It is guidance, not a legal determination.
Open the DBS eligibility checker →Where Complys fits
Complys does not carry out DBS checks, search barred lists or make barring or referral decisions. It helps you record that the correct level of check was completed and its date, and keep review reminders — within the official handling rules (see DBS record keeping & compliance).
FAQs
What is the Children's Barred List?
It is a list maintained by the DBS of people who are barred from taking part in regulated activity with children. It is separate from the criminal-record information on a certificate — it records a barring decision, not a conviction history.
When is the Children's Barred List checked?
Only as part of an Enhanced DBS check that includes a barred-list check, and only where the role is regulated activity with children. A Basic or Standard check never includes a barred-list check, and an Enhanced check without the barred-list element does not either.
What does the barred-list result tell an employer?
It tells you whether the person is barred from regulated activity with children. It does not explain why. A barred person must not be permitted to work in regulated activity with children — it is a criminal offence for them to do so and for an organisation to knowingly allow it.
How does someone end up on the list?
Through the DBS's barring process — some cases are automatic (with or without the chance to make representations) and others are discretionary following a referral and the DBS's consideration. The DBS, not the employer, makes barring decisions.
Do employers have to refer people to the DBS?
In defined circumstances, yes. If you dismiss or remove someone from regulated activity (or would have, had they not left) because they harmed or posed a risk of harm to a child, you may have a legal duty to refer them to the DBS. Confirm the exact duty against the official guidance for your situation.
Related DBS guides
- Regulated activity with childrenWhen work with children is regulated activity: the activities that always count, the frequency test (more than three days in a 30-day period, or overnight), and the removal of the supervision exemption on 1 September 2026 — which brings some previously-exempt supervised roles into regulated activity.
- Adults' Barred ListThe Adults' Barred List records people barred by the DBS from working in regulated activity with adults. What being barred means, how the barred-list check works, when it applies, and the employer duty to refer — in plain English.
- Enhanced with barred list & regulated activityWhen a role needs an Enhanced DBS check with a children's or adults' barred-list check, what regulated activity means for each, and the 1 September 2026 change to regulated activity with children.
Official sources and further guidance
- Change to the definition of regulated activity with children from 1 September 2026 — GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- Regulated activity with children (DBS guidance leaflet) — GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- DBS eligibility guidance — GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
- Check someone's criminal record — types of check you can make — GOV.UK
- DBS checks: detailed guidance — GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service
This guidance is maintained by the Complys team and reviewed against the primary DBS / GOV.UK sources listed above (last reviewed 24 September 2026). It is general information, not legal advice, and DBS rules can change — always confirm against the official sources.