The Adult Barred List is a register administered by the Disclosure and Barring Service (previously the Independent Safeguarding Authority & Criminal Records Bureau) of individuals who are barred from working with vulnerable adults. This replaced the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) list. Inclusion on the list indicates an individual may not work with vulnerable adults in a regulated setting under any circumstances, and any organisation found to be facilitating it - whether employed or voluntary - has committed an offence.
An individual can be placed on the barred list one of three ways: by automatic barring offence, where someone has been newly convicted or cautioned for a serious offence and they are considered for immediate barring; by disclosure, where an individual applies for an enhanced DBS check to work with adults in a regulated setting, and the check returns relevant detail that requires consideration for inclusion on one or both of the barred lists; or by referral, when an employer, volunteer supervisor or other party has concerns that the individual has the potential to, or already has caused harm to vulnerable groups and submits a referral to the DBS.
If you work in Scotland, England and Wales or Northern Ireland then in certain roles you’ll be required to undergo a basic disclosure.
Depending on which of the countries you work in, you will either need to have a basic disclosure from the DBS (England & Wales) Disclosure Scotland (Scotland), or Access NI (Northern Ireland).
There is no specific eligibility for a basic disclosure and individuals can apply for themselves directly with the relevant authority. A basic will reveal any convictions, cautions or reprimands that have not been filtered and are considered spent by the appropriate authority. Basic disclosure turnaround times vary between different statutory authorities & with the suppliers who process checks, you should expect a check to take no more than two weeks.