Following a successful pilot in the South East of England in autumn 2025, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is expanding its Faith in Safeguarding campaign nationally. The campaign raises awareness of the legal duty to refer – the process organisations must follow by law when there are safeguarding concerns about individuals in regulated activity.
Faith organisations are currently among the lower-referring sectors for barring referrals to DBS, despite the thousands of people working and volunteering in regulated activity roles across churches, mosques, gurdwaras, mandirs, synagogues, and faith charities. This suggests many organisations may be unaware of their legal obligations under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.
This campaign aims to close that gap by increasing understanding of when referrals must be made, how the process works, and why it matters.
Pop-up clinics
DBS will be hosting free, in-person pop-up clinics across England this spring, offering practical guidance tailored to faith settings. Each session will include
- an introduction to DBS and eligibility for DBS checks
- what the legal duty to refer means for your organisation
- practical scenarios applying the legal duty in faith settings
- a walkthrough of the Barring Referral Service
- Q&A and networking
Where and when?
- Greater London, Wednesday 25 March 2026, 930am–100pm, The Chesterfield Mayfair, 35 Charles Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5EB
- Liverpool, Wednesday 15 April 2026, 930am–100pm, Hilton Liverpool City Centre
- Leeds, Wednesday 22 April 2026, 930am–100pm, Radisson Blu Hotel
- Birmingham, Tuesday 28 April 2026, 930am–100pm, Clayton Hotel
- Bristol, Wednesday 6 May 2026, 930am–100pm, Holiday Inn City Centre
- Newcastle, Tuesday 12 May 2026, 930am–100pm, Leonardo Hotel
- Peterborough, Tuesday 19 May 2026, 930am–100pm, Park Inn by Radisson
Further sessions in Wales and Northern Ireland will be confirmed at a later date.
All sessions are free to attend. To register, visit the DBS Eventbrite page to secure your place.
Who should attend?
These sessions are open to anyone with safeguarding responsibilities in a faith setting, including
- clergy, imams, granthis, pandits, and rabbis
- trustees and organisational leaders
- safeguarding leads and HR professionals
- volunteers and youth group leaders
Learn more
To support organisations, DBS has published a range of materials on GOV.UK, including
Need help?
For any questions, or if you require more information, contact your DBS Regional Outreach Adviser.
Follow the campaign on DBS social media and use the hashtags
#FaithInSafeguarding #DutyToRefer
