A rule change affecting some club roles
The Royal Yachting Association has advised sailing clubs and training centres to review roles involving children following the removal of the supervision exemption from regulated activity on 1 September 2026. The change applies to England and Wales, with an equivalent change in Northern Ireland, and can affect instructors and volunteers who previously fell outside the definition because another adult supervised them.
The RYA published its club-focused update on 17 September, while the Disclosure and Barring Service provides the authoritative explanation of the amended criteria. It is not a change to general boat-navigation rules, but it matters to organisations offering dinghy sailing, paddling and other youth activities.
Frequency and the activity matter
The DBS guidance explains that people teaching, training, instructing, caring for or supervising children may now be in regulated activity even when someone else supervises them, if the frequency or overnight conditions are met. The relevant threshold includes activity on more than three days in a 30-day period or overnight work during the specified hours.
It does not follow that every club member or occasional helper automatically needs the same check. Eligibility must be assessed against the actual activities, role and conditions rather than inferred from being present at a club.
What clubs are asked to review
The RYA asks organisations to revisit positions that previously required an Enhanced DBS check without Children's Barred List information solely because of sufficient supervision. Where a role now meets the definition of regulated activity, a fresh eligibility assessment and appropriate recruitment or safeguarding updates may be necessary.
The official DBS guidance also distinguishes ordinary Enhanced checks from eligibility for barred-list information. Clubs must not request a barred-list check without legal eligibility, even when acting with good safeguarding intentions.
Where to find current guidance
The RYA plans a club and centre eligibility tool and encourages organisations to consult current DBS information in the meantime. The Disclosure and Barring Service's official announcement explains the change and identifies the organisations and roles it affects.
This article is a factual alert for recreational boating clubs, not individual legal advice or a substitute for assessing a specific role. An organisation should consult current government and association guidance before changing its checking procedures.