For a parent who is dating, a new partner’s background matters in a particular way once that person is around the children. A first meeting through a dating app tells a parent very little about someone’s history. Police-run disclosure schemes exist for exactly this situation, though they are not a routine background check and they do not replace the general caution described in our guide to introducing a new partner to your children. This article summarises the process on GOV.UK and the separate scheme in Scotland. It is general information, not legal advice.
What the police check is
GOV.UK describes a service that lets a member of the public ask the police whether someone has a record of sexual offences, where that person has contact with a child. It is widely known as Sarah’s Law, a name the GOV.UK guidance for professionals explains refers to 8-year-old Sarah Payne, who was murdered in 2000 by a convicted offender; the formal name is the child sex offender disclosure scheme. GOV.UK’s guidance is written for police forces and includes a Welsh-language version, and it does not itself describe Scottish or Northern Irish arrangements, which are separate. Readers in those nations should ask their local police service.
When a check can be requested
The GOV.UK page explains that the person must have enough access to a specific child to pose a real risk of harm, giving examples such as living with the child, working in the child’s household, communicating with the child online or having a chance to meet the child unsupervised. It says that the person asking does not have to be a relative of the child, but must give a name and contact details, because anonymous requests are not allowed, and must explain the relationship to the child and why they want the check.
How to apply and what happens next
GOV.UK says a request can be made by calling 101, visiting a local police station or, in some areas, using an online form, with availability varying by force. According to the page:
- Within 24 hours, the police establish a safe way to contact the applicant.
- Within 10 days, the applicant must attend a meeting or call and provide proof of identity and of their relationship to the child, such as a passport, driving licence, utility bill, birth certificate or child health record.
- Results typically take up to 28 days, with faster action where a child may be in immediate danger.
The police decide who receives any information, based on protecting the child, and this is usually the parent, guardian or carer. GOV.UK says that information is shared with the applicant only if they agree to keep it confidential, and that the police decide independently who is told.
Scotland: the Keeping Children Safe scheme
In Scotland the equivalent is the Sex Offender Community Disclosure Scheme, also called Keeping Children Safe, run by Police Scotland. The Scottish Government describes it as a way for parents, carers or guardians concerned about a child under 18 to ask for checks on an individual’s record of sexual offences against children. Requests can be made by calling 101 or through Police Scotland’s website, and callers who are deaf or hard of hearing can use TextRelay. According to the Scottish Government’s FAQ, the person being checked will not know unless they are found to have a record for sexual offences against children; the applicant’s confidentiality is maintained unless there is a good reason to decide otherwise; and the inquiry creates no criminal record for the person, although the police keep records of the inquiry for evaluation and policing purposes. Anyone who thinks a child is in immediate danger should call 999.
What the schemes are not
These schemes deal with sexual offences against children and with the safety of a specific child. They are separate from the domestic abuse routes in our guide to Clare’s Law in England and Wales and the DSDAS in Scotland, and they are not general background checks, which are covered in our guide to background checks before meeting someone. A parent who wants a check must show a real connection between the person and a child.
Frequently asked questions
Can anyone ask, or only a relative? Under the GOV.UK process a request does not have to come from a relative of the child, but the person must give their name and contact details.
Will the partner be told? In Scotland, the Scottish Government says the person will not know unless a record for sexual offences against children is found. The GOV.UK page says the person checked is usually notified, subject to safety assessments, so a parent in England or Wales should expect the police to decide.
How long does it take? GOV.UK says results typically take up to 28 days, faster if a child is in immediate danger.
The bottom line
A parent who is concerned that a new partner may pose a risk to a child has an official route through the police, either the GOV.UK child sex offender disclosure process or Scotland’s Keeping Children Safe scheme. Both require a real connection between the person and a child, both are handled by the police, and both are separate from general dating background checks.