The Single Central Record
For the helpdesk teamThe Single Central Record (SCR)
Section titled “The Single Central Record (SCR)”The SCR is a legal requirement under KCSIE — the single document that proves every adult working with children at the trust has had the safeguarding checks they’re required to have.
This module replaces the spreadsheet that, in many trusts, has historically been the SCR. The benefits over a spreadsheet:
- Per-staff checks tracked individually with expiry dates
- Auto-flagging when a check is approaching expiry or overdue
- Audit log of every change (who marked what when)
- Inspector-ready PDF export
- Per-academy + trust-wide views
Who’s in the SCR
Section titled “Who’s in the SCR”Every adult who has unsupervised contact with children, regardless of employment type:
- Permanent staff (teachers, TAs, admin, site, kitchen)
- Supply staff (when they’re contracted directly, not via an agency that holds the SCR)
- Governors
- Contractors with regular access (cleaners, peripatetic music tutors)
- Trust-level staff who visit academies (CEO, central team)
The register tracks three person types: staff, governor, and contractor. Volunteers are not tracked in the main register but may have check requirements configured separately.
Short-term contractors (a one-off plumber visit) don’t need to be in the SCR but should be in the contractors register with their DBS check status.
What gets checked
Section titled “What gets checked”Per person, the standard seeded set:
| Check | Notes | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| DBS Enhanced (with barred list) | All staff in regulated activity | Every 36 months (trust-defined) |
| DBS Barred List | Where enhanced DBS isn’t required | Every 36 months |
| Right to work | All staff | At hire only (some visa types renewed) |
| Identity | All staff | At hire |
| QTS / qualifications | Where the role requires it | At hire |
| S128 Prohibition (managers) | Headteachers, members of the governing body in a management role | At hire |
| Prohibition from Teaching | Teachers — TRA database check | At hire |
| Prohibition from Management (EEA / overseas) | Staff who have lived or worked outside the UK | At hire |
| Medical fitness | Pre-employment occupational health | At hire |
| References | All staff (two satisfactory references) | At hire |
| Professional registration | Where the role requires it (e.g. NMC, Social Work England) | Annual |
Each trust’s SCR can extend the list (e.g. add “first-aid certificate” for designated first aiders).
The matrix view
Section titled “The matrix view”The matrix view is one row per person, one column per check type. Each cell is colour-coded:
- Green (shield) — valid and verified — check passed and a designated user has confirmed original evidence was sighted.
- Teal (tick) — valid, not yet verified — check passed but not yet counter-signed.
- Amber (clock) — expiring within 30 days, or pending — action required soon.
- Red (exclamation) — expired or failed — must be renewed or investigated.
- Red (shield-warning) — required but missing — the check is statutorily required for this person’s role and is not on file.
- Grey (dash) — not applicable — this check type is not required for this person’s role.
Use the matrix view to get a trust-wide picture of compliance gaps before an inspection. The per-person view (/agent/scr/register/people/{id}) gives the full detail for each individual. PDF export is available from the export page (/agent/scr/export).
What “missing” means
Section titled “What “missing” means”A missing check is not allowed by KCSIE. The trust has 28 days from a person starting to complete most checks. Any check past its grace window with status “missing” should trigger an immediate conversation with HR + DSL.
The SCR module won’t let you mark someone as “in post” without the required checks at hire. This is a deliberate friction — the inspector reads this module’s audit log.
Renewal cycles
Section titled “Renewal cycles”Checks with a configured renewal period appear on the dashboard as they approach expiry. The scr:expiry-alerts scheduled digest emails whoever holds the scr::admin role (typically the DSL) about checks expiring within the configured warning window (default: 30 days).
Don’t ignore these digests — the audit log records when the DSL was notified, and an inspector will ask why an alert was not acted upon.
The SCR is one of the most-audited documents in the trust. Every change to a person’s check record (date set, document uploaded, status changed) is logged with timestamp, user, and the before/after values.
When the inspector asks “how do you know this DBS check was actually completed in May 2025?”, the audit log is the answer.