Certain industries such as those working with young people or those that are vulnerable, need to have added security measures in place. Schools for example will utilise a Visitor Management System such as those from Ofec to ensure they know who is the building at all times. A DBS check is another way to ensure that those people working in schools and hospital settings as well as those who volunteer their time, are suitable to work in these locations.
As a result of a DBS check, employers are able to check your criminal record in an effort to decide whether you would be a suitable candidate to work for them. Among other things, this involves deciding whether you would be suitable to work with children or vulnerable adults, depending on your background.
A DBS check was previously known as a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. The Disclosure and Barring Service is responsible for carrying out DBS checks on individuals. The type of DBS check that you need to have will depend very much on the role that you are applying for.The four main types of check are:
- Basic
- Standard
- Enhanced
- Enhanced with list check
DBS checks may need to be carried out periodically if the individual does not sign up to the automatic update service. This service allows employers or voluntary organisations to check the DBS in real time.
DBS checks for driving instructors
Driving instruction is one job where a DBS check is a legal requirement. To charge for lessons, you must be an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI), and you can apply if you are over 21 and have held a full licence for at least three years. The application to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency covers your licence, how long you have held it, the vehicles it covers, and any driving offences or penalty points.
First-time applicants must have a check through the Disclosure and Barring Service, and a certificate from another job or voluntary role does not count, so a new one is needed. Many learners are seventeen, and others may be vulnerable for other reasons, such as disability.
Individuals cannot run a criminal records check on themselves, but prospective instructors can apply through an approved online provider. The check searches police records and, in some cases, the barred lists for children and adults. The certificate has no expiry date, but instructors need a fresh check each time they renew their ADI registration.
The four levels of DBS check
There are four levels of DBS check, and the one needed depends on the role. A basic check shows any unspent convictions and conditional cautions, and anyone can apply for one. A standard check also shows spent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings, although some older and minor offences are filtered out under set rules. It is used for roles such as certain legal and financial positions.
An enhanced check includes everything in a standard check, plus any other information held by local police that they consider relevant to the role. It is used for jobs that involve regular contact with children or vulnerable adults. The most thorough level is an enhanced check with a barred list check, which also confirms whether the person is on the list of people barred from working with children, vulnerable adults or both. An employer can only request the level of check that the role legally qualifies for.
Who needs a DBS check, and how long it lasts
Most jobs don’t require a DBS check. They are needed mainly for work with children or vulnerable adults, for many roles in healthcare and for certain other positions of trust. Prospective foster carers and adoptive parents are also checked. Anyone can apply for a basic check on themselves, but standard and enhanced checks can only be requested by an employer or licensing body for a role that qualifies. You can’t look up another person’s criminal record.
A DBS certificate has no official expiry date. It shows what was known on the day it was issued, so many employers ask for a new check every few years or when someone changes role. Signing up to the update service lets an employer check online whether anything new has been added, which saves applying again for each new job. Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own systems, so if you move between nations for work, you may need a separate check.