These are “must” duties, not good practice, and they are the ones that come up in an inspection. The paragraph numbers are from KCSiE 2026, in force 1 September 2026.
The checklist
| Para | What | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 364 | Written notification from the agency that it carried out the same checks the school would otherwise perform. For the enhanced DBS check, the notification must confirm the certificate was obtained by the employment business | Must |
| 365 | Where the DBS certificate disclosed any matter or information, the school must obtain a copy of the certificate from the agency | Must |
| 366 | Where a children’s barred list check is required, the agency must have obtained it, via an enhanced DBS certificate with barred list information, before the person is appointed | Must |
| 367 | Check that the person presenting for work is the same person the checks were made on | Should |
| 348 | The single central record covers agency and third-party supply staff, even if they work for one day | Must |
| 349 | The SCR must record whether written confirmation was received, the date it was received, and whether enhanced DBS certificate details were provided | Must |
| 124, 125 | Safeguarding policies, Part One and the identity of the DSL provided on induction, with a proportionate risk-based approach to the level of information given to temporary staff | Should |
The identity check that gets skipped
Paragraph 367 is the one most often missed. The checks were done on a person; the school should confirm that the person who walked through the door is that person. A photo ID check on arrival takes twenty seconds and is the only control standing between a thorough vetting process and someone else turning up.
What the agency should send
- Written confirmation naming the worker and listing the checks carried out, on agency letterhead and dated.
- Explicit confirmation that the enhanced DBS certificate was obtained by the employment business, with the certificate number and issue date.
- A copy of the certificate itself where anything was disclosed.
- Confirmation of the barred list check where the role requires one.
- The worker’s current safeguarding training certificate, dated, so the school can see it is in date.
Sending all of that unprompted, as a single pack, is the cheapest way an agency can look competent to a school office at half past seven in the morning.
What happens if there is an allegation
KCSiE 2026 is explicit that responsibility is shared. Where an allegation concerns a supply teacher, schools and colleges “share safeguarding responsibilities with the employment agency or business” (para 455). The school gathers the facts and manages the safeguarding process; the agency usually leads on any disciplinary action. Paragraph 456 says a school should not simply stop using a supply teacher without establishing the facts and liaising with the LADO, and paragraph 458 refers to the duty on agencies to refer to the DBS as personnel suppliers.
For agencies