Monitoring and Disclosure Barring Service (DBS)

DBS checks

Any staff working on Cambridgeshire County Council Passenger Transport routes are required to have a DBS clearance before they are eligible to work on our contracts.

New applicants without a current DBS check or badge, or those needing a new check and not enrolled in the update service, must follow the process below:

1. Complete a DBS request. This can be completed by the staff member that requires the badge, or the transport provider that the member of staff is working for. The request will gather the staff members detail’s and take payment for the DBS clearance to be carried out.
2. Once the online form is completed, an appointment will be made to verify the identity of the applicant. This will be carried out by a member of the Passenger Transport Service’s monitoring staff.
3. Applicant attends ID verification appointment. This is done face-to-face at one of our Council offices. More details around this appointment are contained below.
4. Once the ID check is complete, the applicant will receive an e-reference number. This can be used to register for the update service and/or track their DBS application.
5. After the ID verification check, the applicant will receive (via the post) their Disclosure Certificate. Following the DBS application process their Certificate will contain details of both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, and warnings that are held by the Police National Computer.
6. The Passenger Transport Service will receive (one of two) notification that the DBS certificate has been issued. It will either approve the request or it will require further investigation with our Objective Assessment Criteria.
7. A badge will be either issued, or the application will be rejected. If the application is successful, a DBS badge will be sent to the transport provider to distribute with the staff member.

DBS appointments

Once a DBS application has been submitted, it is essential for your staff to attend face-to-face appointments with the DBS team. This is to verify their documents and assess their suitability for the role. Staff must allow at least 2-3 working days after submission of their application before attending an in-person appointment, as there is a possibility that their application may be rejected.

We no longer conduct DBS appointments online, over Teams. These appointments will now take place in person. This change aims to facilitate more effective communication and document verification. It allows for a thorough discussion of any questions or concerns regarding the DBS process.

Before submitting any applications, we expect you to have spoken with your staff and assessed their level of English proficiency. Many of our approved PAs and drivers work with children who have special needs and communication challenges. It is crucial that they possess a strong command of English and the ability to respond promptly and appropriately to the children's needs. To prevent any financial loss from applications that may not meet our requirements, please ensure that you assess their English proficiency before applying.

The process is different for individuals who hold a current DBS certificate and an update subscription number for the update service, as well as those individuals who hold a Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) badge and an update subscription number for the update service. More information is available within the DBS application process document.

Below is the schedule for the upcoming appointments starting from 3rd March 2025

Please note that these appointments will not be available on bank holidays or during half term. Each appointment will have a time slot of two hours, from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm, during which all staff who have applied can come for their document verification. Staff are able to choose a slot and location which works best for them. However, if staff arrive before or after the allocated time slot, they will be asked to return on another day.

Please ensure that your staff are aware of these appointments and prepare the necessary documentation for verification. Provided below are the documentation required for each type of appointment.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out via our contact details: Sett.DBS@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

DBS pricing

Current prices (until 1 April 2025):

• New applications/E-Bulk - £65.00
• Update/Renewals (if signed up to Update Service) - £10.00
• Replacement badges - £10.00

New prices (from 1 April 2025):

• New applications/E-Bulk - £80.00
• Update/Renewals (if signed up to Update Service) - £20.00
• Replacement badges - £10.00

Monitoring

The Passenger Transport Service carry out regular monitoring checks at the schools and colleges that we provide transport for over the course of the year.

Members of our service will be checking that:

• Staff are wearing a valid, in date DBS badge. This means that the badge displays the correct role they are carrying out, that they are working for the same company that is supplying the route, and it is in date. If staff are found to be working without a badge, or an invalid badge, 75 points will be applied against the contract as well as a financial penalty. Exceptions here will be applied if staff have applied for a new badge and requested an exemption from our Monitoring team.
• The route is being supplied by what is stated within the contract. This means that the size and type of the vehicle and the number of staff working on the route are the same as what is stated in the contract. If this is found to be incorrect, points will be applied against the contract. More information about what points may be applied against the route can be found within the penalty section of the contract.
• Staff have an in-date taxi license badge, their vehicle has an in-date and valid taxi license, and that it is displaying the correct livery.
• If equipment is required on the route, such as a harness, or booster seat, that this is in place and has been put in place correctly.
• If the student travels in a wheelchair, that the driver is aware of how to apply wheelchair straps correctly, and that their training is up-to-date.

Accidents and emergencies

If you, or one of your drivers is involved in an accident whilst carrying out one of the Council's contracts, we expect you to follow our procedures.

Within our DPS agreement, the Service Provider must notify the Authority within 24 hours of any traffic accident involving any vehicle whilst providing one of our home to school routes. Where a vehicle used on one of our home to school routes is in a road traffic accident which has contributed to an injury to the staff member or passenger, you must tell us within one hour. This applies as soon as you become aware of the accident, incident or injury.

If a vehicle on a home-to-school route is in an accident that injures a staff member or passenger, you must tell us within one hour. This applies as soon as you become aware of the accident, incident, or injury.

We also expect a written incident report within two working days following any accident, incident or injury.

At the time of, and immediately following the accident or incident, please make sure that your staff take the following actions:

• Make the vehicle safe. You should have equipment in your vehicle, such as high vis jackets or 'cones' which mean that you can make yourself visible to traffic.
• Ensure your passengers are alright. You may need to call an ambulance. If you feel no ambulance is necessary, you must ensure that parents and school are aware, so that the student may be looked over by a first aider.
• Make sure that your operator is aware of the accident. It may be necessary to dispatch another vehicle to carry out the route to ensure that your passengers are not waiting for longer than necessary.
• As above, ensure that the parents of the students are aware of the accident.
• Usually, advice would be to leave your vehicle in the event of an accident on a busy road, and to make your way to a safe place. However, you may risk assess the situation and your passengers and feel that they would be safer in the vehicle, due to potential risk of absconding. The passengers should not be left unattended in a vehicle except in an extreme emergency.
• Your operator must fill out an incident form as soon as possible and share this with the council.
• You will need to inform your insurance provider.

Emergencies

Ring 999 as your first port of call.

Communication is key. If there is an incident on the journey, such as being late due to traffic, challenging behaviour or you have gotten lost, you must contact the parents or the school to let them know.

In our DPS agreement, the service provider must tell the Authority within 24 hours if a vehicle has a traffic accident on a home-to-school route.