DBS check

A DBS check is a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service, used in England and Wales when recruiting for roles that involve trust — above all, work with children or vulnerable adults. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes (Disclosure Scotland's PVG and AccessNI).

The four levels

• Basic — unspent convictions only; any employer may request one for any role.
• Standard — spent and unspent convictions, cautions and reprimands, for eligible roles.
• Enhanced — everything in a standard check plus relevant police intelligence.
• Enhanced with barred lists — adds a check of the children's and/or adults' barred lists, for regulated activity such as personal care.

Eligibility is fixed by law: an employer can only ask for the level the role qualifies for, not simply the deepest check available.

In care and similar settings

For regulated activity — much of domiciliary and residential care, and childcare — an enhanced check with barred lists is required, and it is a criminal offence to knowingly employ a barred person in that activity. Practical points: the DBS Update Service lets a candidate's certificate be checked online with their consent and reused across roles; set a clear recheck policy, since certificates show a point in time; and store outcomes confidentially, recording the decision rather than the detail.

Police Act 1997, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 — administered by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Related terms

• Probation period
• Night work
• Rota