Table Tennis England tightens child safety from September 1, 2026: DBS supervision exemption ends

September 1, 2026 is a major milestone for Table Tennis England. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 officially removes the “supervision exemption” from the legal definition of regulated activity relating to children. Before this date, some coaches and volunteers could work with children without a DBS check because their role was supervised by another responsible person. From September 1, that distinction no longer exists.

DBS, the Disclosure and Barring Service, is the criminal record checking body in England. In youth sport, a DBS certificate helps clubs confirm whether an adult has a conviction related to abuse, harm, or other behaviour that makes them unsuitable to work with children. Table tennis, with its large number of young players and sessions often held in enclosed spaces, needs this safeguard more than ever.

Table Tennis England confirmed the information in its latest announcement about a series of online webinars for clubs. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, from 6pm to 7pm, hosted by Kyhl Daly, the organisation’s Designated Safeguarding Officer. The target audience includes club welfare officers, club and league committee members, and volunteers who regularly work with children.

The webinar will cover three key areas. First, how the regulatory change from September 1, 2026 affects who needs a DBS check. Second, how Table Tennis England’s DBS process works, from application and verification to record keeping. Third, why DBS checks matter in building a safe table tennis environment. Clubs that have never asked volunteers to obtain a DBS certificate will receive practical guidance to avoid being left behind.

Previously, “regulated activity” with children required a DBS check only for those working unsupervised. If a coach or teaching assistant had a supervisor, they were considered exempt from the check. This exemption was widely used by voluntary clubs to reduce paperwork. But it also created a safeguarding blind spot. A person without a criminal record check could still have regular contact with children simply because they were labelled as “working under supervision”.

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 closes that gap. From September 1, supervised roles are treated the same as unsupervised ones. This means anyone involved in regulated activity with children in table tennis, whether lead coach, assistant, volunteer, or technical helper, must obtain a DBS certificate before starting work. Delaying a check cannot be justified by saying “another adult is present”.

Clubs that rely on volunteers should now review their entire staff list. They need to identify those who regularly stand near the playing area, give technical instruction, travel with children to competitions, or help in changing rooms. These roles may all fall under regulated activity. Clubs should create a tracking list, note certificate expiry dates, and explain the new obligation to each volunteer. Ideally, this should be done before the September 29 webinar so participants can ask more meaningful questions.

The attitude of the table tennis community is also important. Some people may see this as an administrative burden, especially when smaller clubs already struggle to recruit volunteers. There is a fear that new rules will drive away longstanding helpers who do not want to complete paperwork. Yet, looking at how amateur table tennis is actually organised, the old idea of “supervision” is often fragile. In a hall with tables far apart, the noise of balls and voices, the designated supervisor may be dealing with an issue at the other end while an unchecked volunteer stands close to a child. When the distance grows, a “supervised” label becomes a formality.

Therefore, DBS must be understood correctly. A DBS certificate does not replace safeguarding training, nor does it guarantee that a person will always be safe. It simply helps organisers remove people with obvious convictions or risk before they enter a sports environment. Long-term child protection still requires clear codes of conduct, a rule that no adult should be alone with a child, and a reporting process for any warning signs. DBS and safeguarding culture must work together.

The webinar led by Kyhl Daly is not only for clubs puzzled by the new law. It also gives welfare officers, committee members, and volunteers a chance to understand that background checks are not about doubting any individual. They are a shared responsibility for the safety of children holding a bat and standing at the table. Sport can only develop in a healthy way when the adults around children are carefully selected and checked.

On September 29, the conversation will begin with questions about process, paperwork, and DBS deadlines. But the real legal responsibility starts on September 1. The webinar can help hundreds of clubs avoid being left behind. What matters most in the end is not the webinar screen. It is whether every child entering the hall sees an adult who has been checked and is ready to listen. Table Tennis England has closed one loophole and opened a new standard for youth sport.