DBS referrals: list of Professional Bodies
Updated 17 September 2024
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A 鈥榩rofessional body鈥� is a professional regulatory body named in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (SVGA) 2006 or the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order (SVGO) 2007.
Professional bodies may be either a keeper of a professional register or a supervisory authority, typically an inspecting body. Some professional bodies are also 鈥榗ompetent bodies鈥� under the above legislation. The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) must use competent body 鈥榝indings of fact鈥� as facts in barring decision-making processes.
1. Keepers of Registers
Section 41(7) SVGA 2006
Section 43(7) SVGO 2007
- General Teaching Council for Wales (GTC W)
- General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTC NI)
- Social Care Wales
- Social Work England (SWE)
- Northern Ireland Social Care Council
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
- General Dental Council GDC)
- General Optical Council (GOC)
- General Osteopathic Council (GOsC)
- General Chiropractic Council (GCC)
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulates 15 health professions - arts therapists, biomedical scientists, chiropodists / podiatrists, clinical scientists, dietitians, hearing aid dispensers, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, prosthetists / orthotists, radiographers and speech and language therapists
2. Supervisory Authorities
Section 45(7) SVGA 2006
Section 47(7) SVGO 2007
- Care Quality Commission
- Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA)
- Secretary of State for Education (in relation to inspection of Independent Schools) (DfE)
- Ofsted (HM Chief Inspector of Schools in England)
- Office of the Public Guardian
- Charity Commission for England and Wales
- Welsh Government Ministers / Welsh Assembly
- Estyn (HM Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales)
- Care and Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
- Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW)
- NI Education & Training Inspectorate
- Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) (NI)
- Charity Commission for Northern Ireland