DBS launches national campaign to raise awareness of legal duty to refer

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has launched a new national campaign to raise awareness of the legal duty to refer - the process organisations must follow by law when there are safeguarding concerns about individuals in regulated activity.  

The first phase of the campaign is being rolled out across the South East of England, with a particular focus on engaging faith-based organisations. In the past seven years, referrals from the faith sector have accounted for just 0.51% of all submissions, highlighting significant gaps in safeguarding reporting.  

This campaign aims to close that gap by increasing understanding of when referrals must be made, how the process works, and why it matters.   

Events, resources, and outreach 

The campaign will run over 12 weeks, and includes a series of free, virtual workshops delivered by DBS' South East Regional Outreach Adviser. These sessions will explain the barring process and the legal responsibilities of organisations and employers to refer.  

There are two types of workshops:  

Meet your Regional Outreach Adviser drop-in session  

• 20th November, 1pm: register here:  Meet your Regional Outreach Adviser, Teams 

• 19th December 2025, 10am: register here:  Meet your Regional Outreach Adviser, Teams  

Legal duty to refer bitesize workshop 

• 19th November, 10am: register here: DBS Legal Duty to Refer Bitesize, Eventbrite 

Pop-up clinics

In addition to the workshops, DBS will also be hosting pop-up clinics across the South East, offering free, in-person advice and practical guidance. These sessions will include: 

• myth-busting around the referral process 

• real-world referral threshold scenarios 

• peer-led discussions 

• live walk-throughs of how to make a referral 

• opportunities to ask DBS staff questions directly 

Where and when? 

• Reading, Thursday 6 November, 09:30-12:00pm and 13:00-15:30pm. 

• Tonbridge (Kent), Tuesday 18 November, 09:30-12:00pm and 13:00-15:30pm. 

• Brighton, Wednesday 3 December, 09:30-12:00pm and 13:00-15:30pm. 

• Southampton, Wednesday 17 December, 09:30-12:00pm and 13:00-15:30pm. 

These are in-person events, with morning and afternoon slots available. To register, visit DBS' Eventbrite page to secure your place.   

Explainer videos

A 60-second explainer series will also be launched on DBS social media channels, covering key topics, including: 

• what is the legal duty to refer? 

• what is regulated activity? 

• when must a referral be made? 

• what happens after a referral is submitted? 

• what are the consequences of not referring? 

Keep an eye out on the DBS YouTube Channel, as these explainer videos will be launching soon.  

Learn more 

To support organisations, DBS has published a range of materials on  GOV.UK, including: 

• Guidance on the legal duty to refer to DBS

• Leaflets such as Barring Referrals - How and when to make one

• A step-by-step flowchart explaining the referral process

How to get involved 

You can take part in the campaign in several ways: 

• attend a virtual workshop  

• visit a pop-up clinic  

• watch our 60-second explainer videos hosted on our YouTube channel, and social media platforms 

 Need help? 

For any questions, or if you require more information, contact: 

Kelly Matthews, DBS South East Regional Outreach Adviser 

E-mail: kelly.matthews@dbs.gov.uk Phone: +443001046630  

Follow the campaign on DBS social media, and use the hashtags: #FaithInSafeguarding #DutyToRefer 

• Twitter/X 

• LinkedIn 

• Facebook 

• YouTube