I have lived overseas, can I become a tutor?
The latest regulation states that we must collect overseas background checks (similar to a DBS) for tutors who have:
Lived abroad at a permanent address in the same country
For more than three months
During the past 5 years
If that’s you, we’ll need you to provide us with a full background check for each overseas country you’ve lived in for over 3 months, before you can become a tutor with us.
Background checks are individual to every country, so we’re unable to complete them on your behalf at this time.
Can I apply for a DBS check (or equivalent) from the country I lived in?
Yes. Head to the Criminal Records Checks page on the government website and select the country where you’ve lived. You’ll then be directed to complete the required check for the period of time you lived in that country.
Please note that you’ll need to provide a copy of the check in English.
Once you’ve got the check, please send it to our team at tutors@mytutor.co.uk. They’ll review it and progress your application.
What does the legislation class as ‘overseas’?
Overseas is classed as anywhere outside of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
Why can’t you carry out overseas checks for tutors?
Because there’s a different process for every single country. We operate in the UK, and at the moment we can’t carry out all of these checks ourselves. We’ll continue reviewing this process to see if we can do so in future.
What does a translation mean?
All documents need to be submitted in English. We’ll accept a translation, either from your embassy/authority of a translation agency.
We don’t accept Google Translate or similar services, or translations you have completed yourself.
Why do you have to carry out overseas checks when I already have an Enhanced DBS check?
Criminal record checks are specific to the country in which they’re carried out.
For example, the disclosure and barring service (DBS) only conducts background checks in England and Wales.
We need to see additional checks for the time you’ve lived overseas to make sure we’re keeping the children you’d work with safe.
If you’ve lived in Scotland or Northern Ireland you may need an additional check, we’ll let you know by email if you do.
When can I expect to hear back from you when I have sent my documents in?
Overseas checks will take us longer to process. Especially if we’re receiving a high volume of requests. So we can’t provide specific timeframes, but we’ll do our best to keep you updated and get back to you as soon as possible.
Can I submit a digital check or do you have to have the paper copy?
We can accept all official documentation in either digital or paper copy.