UK ministers have enacted a targeted change in safeguarding law: police in England and Wales may disclose information supplied by the Disclosure and Barring Service to help decision‑makers outside the UK assess candidates for roles working with children. The regulations were made on 25 November 2025, laid on 27 November, and take effect on 18 December 2025.
Under Regulation 2, disclosure by a chief officer of police to assist a person located overseas in assessing suitability for child‑related work is now a prescribed purpose under section 50A(1)(d) of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. The instrument extends to England and Wales.
The Home Office’s Explanatory Note confirms that disclosures may include whether an individual is on the children’s barred list. Section 50A already permits DBS to share information with the police for specified purposes; the new instrument adds this recruitment‑related purpose for cases determined outside the UK.
In operational terms, the instrument creates a legal basis for disclosure rather than a new DBS product. Any decision by a chief officer to release information will sit within existing statutory disclosure guidance, and recipients remain bound by DBS handling standards, including secure storage and time‑limited retention.
The change aligns with concerns raised by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which recorded that overseas employers could not obtain DBS disclosures or barred‑list status and noted that the non‑statutory International Child Protection Certificate does not include DBS children’s barred‑list checks.
For international schools, NGOs and youth organisations making appointment decisions overseas, the new prescribed purpose enables a route to seek UK safeguarding information about applicants with a UK history. It complements, and does not replace, local criminal record checks or certificates of good conduct, as DBS cannot access foreign records.
Where appointment decisions are taken in the UK, the existing DBS eligibility framework for standard and enhanced checks continues to apply. The territorial distinction therefore remains central to selecting the correct pre‑employment vetting approach.
The instrument is signed by Jess Phillips, Parliamentary Under‑Secretary of State at the Home Office. The minister’s portfolio includes oversight of the Disclosure and Barring Service, underscoring the link between this measure and wider safeguarding policy.
The Explanatory Note records that no full impact assessment has been produced, with no significant effect anticipated for the private, voluntary or public sectors. The regulations do not amend data protection law, and employers should continue to follow DBS guidance on lawful handling.
Safeguarding leads should plan for commencement on 18 December 2025 by mapping scenarios where confirmation of children’s barred‑list status would assist an overseas hiring decision and by agreeing a point of contact with the relevant police force for requests made under section 50A.