Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring that all sports massage therapists undergo enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

Anyone undertaking or seeking employment within a health or care role will be subject to employer checks, which may include a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Whatever their employment status, any individual can get a basic criminal record certificate from the DBS, which will show any unspent convictions or cautions they have.

On 18 April 2023, the Independent Review of the disclosure and barring regime published its report on the effectiveness of the scheme in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. The report concluded that the regime is delivering its mission of helping employers and organisations to make safer employment decisions but identifies several areas where the regime could be strengthened. The review recommended that self-employed individuals seeking to work with children or vulnerable adults are made eligible to apply for an enhanced DBS certificate with the relevant barred lists check.

The Government is carefully considering the Review’s recommendations.