In October 2022, IoL President James Button wrote to the DfT outlining concerns at the current arrangements which require separate DBS checks for licensed drivers for normal hackney carriage / private hire work and for home to school transport.

The letter was transferred to the Home Office for response, and a detailed response was subsequently received which stated:

“...You suggest that all hackney carriage and private hire drivers undertake regulated activity with children both when undertaking home to school contract work and when not.  However, it is important to note that an employer recruiting a licensed hire driver for regulated activity with children, with the requisite child workforce check of the children’s barred list, would not be entitled in law to see information disclosed under the adult workforce, i.e., through an enhanced with adults barred list check.  Only an employer who was employing someone in regulated activity for children and adults would be legally entitled to see information disclosed through an enhanced DBS with check of both adults’ and children’s barred list, for both the children’s and adults’ workforce.  This therefore necessitates the need for a separate enhanced check with a check of the children’s barred list, for those deciding the suitability of hackney carriage and private hire drivers to undertake home to school contract work; further to the licensing-related enhanced DBS check of adults’ and children’s barred lists held by these drivers...”

Download the IoL Letter and Home Office Response