Safer recruitment checklist for early years settings

The order matters less than the evidence. What an inspector wants to see is that the decision to employ someone was made on the basis of completed checks, and that the record shows it.

Working with children in a nursery is regulated activity, so the check you need is an enhanced DBS certificate that includes a check of the children's barred list. A basic or standard check is not enough, and a certificate from a previous employer is only usable through the DBS update service after you have seen the original certificate, confirmed the person's identity, obtained their consent and checked that it covers the same workforce, level and barred list. From 1 September 2026 a new employee must not start until their check has been received.

Record the certificate number and the date of issue rather than keeping a copy of the certificate itself, along with who obtained it. Apply the current age, role and premises rules for anyone else who needs a check, including people living or working on domestic premises where childcare takes place. Since 1 September 2026 regular supervised volunteers are included; the exception for occasional supervised volunteers is narrow.

DBS certificates do not expire, and there is no statutory re-check interval for early years, so decide your own review dates, write it down, and use the update service where you can. Whatever you choose, the single central record is where the dates live.

Under the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2018, a person can be disqualified from working in childcare by certain convictions, cautions or orders, or by being barred from working with children. Providers must not employ someone who is disqualified in a role covered by the regulations.

Take a signed declaration at recruitment and require staff to tell you promptly if anything changes. Repeating the declaration annually is our recommended review practice, so the record does not go stale. Disqualification by association no longer applies to staff in non-domestic settings, but it still applies where childcare takes place in domestic premises.

The single central record is a convenient summary of these checks. It is one row per person with a column for each check: identity, DBS number, date and who obtained it, barred list, right to work, references, qualifications, first aid expiry, overseas checks and the disqualification declaration.

Keep the evidence in the staff file and the dates on the record. Our free single central record template uses exactly those columns, and the SCR guide explains what is statutory for early years and what is borrowed from schools guidance.

• References collected but never verified, or accepted as an open letter from the candidate.
• Employment gaps noted on the application form and never asked about at interview.
• A start date confirmed before the enhanced DBS and children's barred list check was received.
• Health questions asked before a conditional offer was made.
• Overseas time not checked, or checked and not recorded.
• Paediatric first aid certificates expiring quietly, then counted towards ratios anyway.
• Induction delivered verbally with nothing signed.

Inspectors judge safeguarding on whether the arrangements work in practice, not on whether a folder exists. They may pick a recent starter, follow the checks through from the record to the file, and ask a manager to explain a decision.

For the wider picture, read the September 2026 early years inspection toolkit guide, and work through the Ofsted inspection checklist for the rest of the evidence inspectors ask for.

• EYFS statutory framework (GOV.UK) - section 3, suitable people and staff qualifications.
• Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 (GOV.UK)
• DBS check requests: guidance for employers (GOV.UK)
• Keeping Children Safe in Education (GOV.UK) - applies to schools and colleges, including school-based nurseries.