If you’re a self-employed dance teacher, you can now apply for your own enhanced DBS check, as long as your role is eligible. You go through a DBS umbrella body, prove your identity and pay the DBS fee plus the body’s admin fee. If a school hires you, it may apply for you instead.
Picture this. A parent at your Saturday class asks, “Do you have an enhanced DBS?” You’re self-employed, you hire the hall yourself, and there’s no school office to run the check for you. So what do you actually do?
The good news is that the route is now clear. This guide walks through an enhanced DBS check for a self-employed dance teacher, step by step, so you can show families you take safeguarding seriously. This is general guidance, not legal advice. We last checked every fact below against gov.uk on 28 October 2026.
Can a self-employed dance teacher apply for their own enhanced DBS check?
Yes, if your role is eligible. Since 21 January 2026, DBS has let eligible self-employed people apply for their own enhanced check. The gov.uk guidance on DBS checks for self-employed people and personal employees says it’s down to the self-employed person to apply, through a DBS umbrella body.
Gov.uk lists three conditions: your role must be eligible, you must be paid for your work, and you must be self-employed or a personal employee. A personal employee is someone employed directly by a private individual to deliver services to them or their family. Most dance teachers who run their own classes are in the first group.
An umbrella body is simply an organisation registered with DBS to process applications. You can’t go to DBS directly, and a parent can’t apply for you either. Gov.uk is clear that private individuals can’t apply for a DBS check on behalf of the person they’re hiring.
Is your role eligible?
Eligibility depends on what you do, who you do it with and how often. Gov.uk has an eligibility guidance collection and an eligibility tool, and the umbrella body will check too.
Dance isn’t named in DBS’s sport guidance, but its leaflet on DBS checks in sport is a useful comparison. It says a coach or instructor whose duties include teaching, training or instructing children is eligible for an enhanced check with a Children’s Barred List check, if they do it often enough. “Often enough” means more than 3 days in any 30 days, or once overnight between 2am and 6am with the chance of face-to-face contact with children. If you teach children but less often, the leaflet says you can be eligible for an enhanced check without the barred list check.
Not sure where you sit? Ask the umbrella body or contact DBS before you pay. If a role isn’t eligible, the umbrella body will tell you, and you may be offered a basic check instead. That’s what gov.uk’s own example of a self-employed plumber shows.
Our post on DBS changes for dance teachers explains the September 2026 change to regulated activity, which removed the supervision exemption, and cut DBS fees from 5 October. It’s good news for children, because helpers who regularly support classes can now have the highest level of check.
Step by step: how to get an enhanced DBS check
Here’s the route that gov.uk sets out.
- Check your role is eligible, using the DBS eligibility guidance.
- Find an umbrella body that processes checks for self-employed people. Gov.uk’s find a DBS umbrella body page has a filter for this.
- Apply through the umbrella body. It will guide you through the application and ask you to prove your identity. You may need to visit in person.
- Think about joining the DBS Update Service when you apply, using your application reference number.
- Wait for your certificate. DBS posts it to you.
- Show your original certificate to the families, schools or venues who ask for it.
Keep that certificate safe. A school or parent should see the original. Gov.uk says private individuals must reject copies and digital photographs of a certificate.
What does it cost, and who pays?
Gov.uk’s employer guidance lists the DBS fee for an enhanced check as £41, and the same for an enhanced check with barred lists. Umbrella bodies add their own admin fee on top, and DBS doesn’t set that figure, so it varies. Ask for the full price before you apply. Fees were last checked on 28 October 2026, and DBS reviews them each year, so check the current figure on gov.uk.
If you apply yourself as a self-employed teacher, you pay the check fee and the admin fee. If a school or organisation applies for you, gov.uk says it may do so in line with its own policies. Who pays is something to agree with them, so talk about it early.
How long does it take?
Gov.uk says enhanced and standard checks usually take around 8 weeks. It can be shorter or longer, depending on the type of check, whether your details are correct and which police forces need to be involved. You can track your application online.
Build that time into your plans. If you’re starting a new term in September, apply in the summer. You’ll also want it in place before you take on any new venue or holiday programme.
Does a DBS certificate transfer between schools?
A DBS certificate has no official expiry date. The information on it was accurate on the day it was issued, and a new check is up to whoever needs it. Organisations can accept a certificate from a previous role, and gov.uk says they must check that:
- your identity matches the details on the certificate
- it’s the right level and type of check for the new role
- nothing has changed, if you’re signed up to the Update Service
The DBS Update Service is what makes this simple. You subscribe once a year, and with your permission an organisation can check online whether your certificate is still up to date. Gov.uk lists the subscription at £15 a year, last checked 28 October 2026. You’ll usually be able to take your certificate from one role to the next. A school can still ask for a new one, and you’ll need a new check if you move to a different workforce, such as adult to child, or need a higher level.
For a freelance teacher with several venues, that’s a real time saver.
What if a school or venue hires you?
Many self-employed dance teachers teach in someone else’s studio or in a school hall. Gov.uk says that if you’re a self-employed person contracting your services to an organisation, the organisation may apply on your behalf in line with its policies. It recommends you discuss this with them.
So before you apply yourself, ask the school:
- Will you arrange and pay for my check?
- Which umbrella body do you use?
- Will you accept a certificate I already hold?
You might hold one certificate for your own classes and be asked for another for a school contract. Ask early so there’s no wait before your first lesson. If you’re weighing up how your own working arrangement is classed, our guide to employed or self-employed dance teachers covers the basics.
How does BDSA fit in?
BDSA (British DanceSport Association) is a Teach.Dance partner. In a 2023 safeguarding press release, BDSA said it requires dance teachers, and anyone who has regular contact with children and vulnerable adults, to have an up-to-date enhanced DBS check. It added that it works with a reputable organisation to arrange them.
If you’re a BDSA member or thinking of joining, ask BDSA directly what its route covers for you, and whether it suits your self-employed situation. We only share what BDSA has published, and policies can change, so go to BDSA for the current details.
What if you teach in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
DBS covers England and Wales, and also the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Scotland has Disclosure Scotland and the PVG scheme instead. Northern Ireland uses AccessNI. If you teach across borders, follow each nation’s rules separately.
Your enhanced DBS quick checklist
- Check your role is eligible, and ask the umbrella body if you’re unsure.
- Choose an umbrella body that accepts self-employed applicants.
- Ask for the full price, including the admin fee.
- Have your ID ready and allow around 8 weeks.
- Consider the Update Service when you apply.
- Keep your original certificate safe, and be ready to show it.
- Tell families and venues that you hold one. It builds trust.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an enhanced DBS check take?
Gov.uk says enhanced checks usually take around 8 weeks, though it can be shorter or longer. Correct details on your application help avoid delays, and you can track the progress online.
Who pays for a self-employed dance teacher’s DBS check?
If you apply yourself, you pay the DBS fee and the umbrella body’s admin fee. If a school or organisation applies on your behalf, gov.uk says that’s up to its own policies, so agree it with them first.
Can I use one DBS certificate for several schools?
Often, yes. A certificate has no official expiry date, and organisations can accept one from a previous role if it’s the right level and type and your identity matches. The Update Service helps. A school can still ask for a new check.
Can a parent or school get a DBS check for me?
A private individual, including a parent, can’t apply for you. If you’re self-employed and contracting to an organisation, the organisation may apply on your behalf under its own policies.
Can I apply directly to DBS myself?
No. You apply through a DBS umbrella body, which processes your application and checks your ID. Gov.uk has a page to help you find one that accepts self-employed applicants.
Do I need a barred list check as well?
It depends on your role. Teaching children often enough is regulated activity, which makes you eligible for an enhanced check with a Children’s Barred List check. If you teach children less often, you may be eligible for an enhanced check without it. The umbrella body will advise.
Next step
Once your own DBS is sorted, a good next step is safeguarding training. Introduction to Safeguarding in Dance (Level 1) is a free BDSA course powered by Teach.Dance, and it gives you a clear foundation to build on.
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