Capita has advised all users that the current Teachers’ Pensions Online (TP Online) Service will cease to operate from 31 March 2021 and will be transferred to the Department for Education (DfE).
Employers working outside the educational settings will no longer have the legal requirements to check the children’s barred list status of individuals who are applying for the roles in schools, colleges and universities. Those outside of the educational settings include recruitment, supply and HR agencies.
The new DfE service is strictly limited to employers of staff in educational settings who are responsible for checking the suitability of applicants seeking to engage in regulated activity. If you do not fall within the legal requirements you will not be able access the replacement system. As educational settings have the facility to check the barred list status, there is no requirement to involve a third party.
Prior to 1st of April Educational settings could carry out separate barred list checks (formerly known as List 99) through third parties, these checks where commonly used in circumstances where an applicant is still waiting for their Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to be disclosed but is due to commence work in the school that day, in line with the schools safeguarding policies they could carry out a separate barred list check including all other pre-appointment checks with risk assessments etc.., to enable the person to commence work.
Schools, colleges and universities have access to the teaching regulation agency portal (Secure Access) through the Department for Education (DFE), will be able to carry out the children’s barred list check directly alongside other checks such as QTS, Prohibition from Teaching and Section 128 via the Department for Education.
It is important that these changes are made aware to schools, colleges and universities to ensure they are following the correct legal requirements when recruiting staff.
If you have any further queries please contact the Department for Education.
A Childrens’ Barred List check, previously known as a ‘List 99’ check, allows educational establishments to check whether an individual is barred from working with children.
The Department for Educations’ “Keeping Children Safe in Education” guidance for schools and colleges includes the Childrens’ Barred List check as part of safe recruitment and pre-employment checks.
If an individual frequently teaches, trains, instructs or cares for children whilst unsupervised you can legally carry out a Childrens’ Barred List on their behalf.
If an individual does not carry out any of the above, but still carries out unsupervised work frequently in one of the following establishments: an educational institution, a nursery, an institution for the detention of children, a children’s’ home, a children’s centre or a childcare premises, then the Children’s’ Barred list check will still apply.
The work must be for or in connection with the purposes of that establishment, and does not include work by volunteers under regular supervision, or occasional/ temporary contract work that is not an activity of a specified nature listed above.
The Childrens’ Barred List check can only be undertaken by the current or prospective employer; the applicant cannot apply for their own check.
Register with OnlineSCR here to create a Childrens’ Barred List account. All you need is the applicants full name and date of birth to order the check! We accept payment by card for checks.
If you order before 2.30pm Monday to Friday, you will receive the result the same day. Any orders received after this time will be processed the next working day.
OnlineSCR also provide a Fast Track service which guarantees the result within just 2 hours!
There are two possible outcomes:
1 – ‘Clear, no further comments’ – this means that the applicant can start work, subject to other relevant references and pre-employment checks being completed.
2 – If there is a match, employment is prohibited and we will contact you immediately to provide the relevant guidance.
OnlineSCR provides an e-certificate as proof that the check has been carried out. You will then be able to enter the dates of the check on your Single Central Record (SCR).
OnlineSCR provides Childrens’ Barred List checks as well as Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), Prohibition from Teaching, Section 128, and European Economic Area (EEA) checks at a competitive price.
Contact us today to start checking your staff!
