TL;DR

A DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service check) is a criminal record check used by UK employers and recruiters to assess whether an individual is suitable for a specific role, particularly those involving work with children or vulnerable adults. The Disclosure and Barring Service was created in 2012 by merging the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). There are four levels of check - Basic, Standard, Enhanced, and Enhanced with Barred List - and the level required is determined by the nature of the role, not the employer's preference.

What This Means in Practice

The level of DBS check a [recruiter](/glossary/recruiter) can request is strictly controlled by law. You cannot upgrade a check to Enhanced simply because a client wants extra assurance, and requesting a higher level than the role warrants is unlawful. The Police Act 1997 (as amended) and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 together define which roles are exempt from standard spent conviction rules and therefore eligible for higher-level checks.

A Basic DBS check discloses only unspent convictions and conditional cautions. Any employer can request a Basic check for any employee or prospective employee - there is no eligibility requirement. The check costs £18 and can be applied for through the DBS's online service or via a registered umbrella body. The certificate is issued to the applicant, not the employer, and the employer must obtain the applicant's consent to view it.

A Standard DBS check discloses spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, and final warnings. It is only available for roles listed in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act Exceptions Order - typically regulated financial and legal roles, certain healthcare positions, and solicitors. The Enhanced DBS check additionally includes any relevant information held by local police forces that a chief officer considers appropriate to disclose. This is the level required for roles working with children or vulnerable adults in a supervised capacity.

An Enhanced DBS check with Barred List check adds a check against the Children's Barred List, Adults' Barred List, or both. This level is mandatory for regulated activity - defined as work with children or vulnerable adults that occurs frequently, intensively, or overnight. Employing a person who is on a Barred List in a regulated activity role is a criminal offence under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, carrying a fine and up to five years' imprisonment.

DBS certificates have no statutory expiry date. Employers are responsible for deciding how often to recheck. Many regulated sectors - including the NHS, schools, and social care - operate rechecking cycles of three to five years, or use the DBS Update Service (£13 per year subscription), which allows employers to perform status checks on existing certificates online without requiring a new application.

Why Recruitment Agencies Need to Know This

Placing a candidate in a regulated activity role without conducting the required level of DBS check exposes the agency to criminal liability under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. This is not a regulatory technicality - it is a criminal offence. If an agency places a barred individual in a school, care home, or medical setting without conducting an Enhanced check with Barred List, both the agency and the client can face prosecution.

For healthcare, education, and social care staffing - sectors where many UK agencies operate - DBS compliance is a continuous operational requirement, not a one-time onboarding step. Temporary workers in these sectors are placed across multiple clients. Each placement may trigger a new check obligation if the existing certificate is more than 12 months old or if the Update Service is not active for that individual. Agencies must maintain records of check levels, issue dates, and Update Service subscription status for every candidate on their books in regulated activity roles.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) also regulates how DBS information is handled. Employers and agencies must not retain copies of DBS certificates beyond six months after the recruitment decision, store them insecurely, or share them with third parties without the individual's consent. ICO enforcement for data breaches involving criminal record information can result in fines under UK GDPR, with penalties up to £17.5 million or 4% of annual global turnover.

For international hires or candidates who have lived outside the UK for more than three months since the age of 18, a DBS check must be supplemented with an overseas criminal record check from each country of residence. The DBS cannot access foreign police records; the agency must arrange separate checks through the relevant country's authorities or a recognised service provider.

In Practice

A healthcare staffing agency is processing a community nurse for placement with an NHS Trust. The role involves regular unsupervised contact with vulnerable adults at home. The agency determines the correct check level: Enhanced DBS with Adults' Barred List. The candidate has an existing Enhanced certificate dated 14 months ago. She has an active DBS Update Service subscription.

The agency requests an online status check via the Update Service. The result comes back as "no changes" - the certificate remains current and no new information has been added since it was issued. The NHS Trust is satisfied with the online status check and confirms the placement can proceed without a new full application. The agency records the check date and result in the candidate's compliance file and sets a calendar reminder to recheck at 12 months.

Three months into the placement, the Trust calls to report a disclosure the nurse made to her line manager. The agency follows its safeguarding referral procedure, refers the matter to the DBS under its legal obligation as a regulated employer, and suspends the placement pending the outcome. The suspension is not a termination - it is the legally required response while an investigation is in progress.

Quick Reference