FAQs

Employer preference: Even though your existing DBS might be valid, employers often request a fresh check for their own peace of mind. There’s no legal obligation to accept a previous one.

Check level and workforce type: Unless your new role involves the same level of check (basic, standard, enhanced) and works with the same workforce (children or adults) as your previous one, you’ll need a new DBS. Here’s what you can do to find out for sure:

Contact your new employer: The best way to know if they require a new DBS check is to ask them directly. They’ll be able to tell you the specific level and workforce type needed for the role.

Check the job posting: Sometimes, job advertisements mention if a DBS check is required.

As a self-employed person, you can only initiate a Basic DBS check yourself. This check reveals any unspent convictions on your record. Whether you need an additional check, or a higher level check, depends on the specific requirements of your new employer.

There’s no expiration date on a DBS Check, just the date it was issued. Employers have their own policies about when they require disclosures to be renewed. They may accept your old disclosure check, but are in no way obliged to.

Basic DBS checks tend to complete in 24-48 hours providing that the application information is correct and the DBS or police do need need to conduct additional searches. Higher level (standard and enhanced) checks can take much longer, depending on the applicant’s history. We are unable to control the processing time of your DBS Check as that’s handled by the DBS and therefore these time frames should be used only as a guide.

Basic DBS Check: Anyone aged 16 or over in England and Wales can apply for a Basic DBS check themselves. There are no eligibility requirements for this type of check.

Standard and Enhanced DBS Checks: These checks can only be applied for by organisations on behalf of an applicant. This is because the role or activity must be eligible for a Standard or Enhanced DBS check according to law.

The certificate will be posted to the applicant’s current address via Royal Mail, or via courier if you have selected this option for overseas delivery. In exceptional circumstances, a certificate can be sent to a ‘care of’ address upon request by the applicant.

The information shown on a DBS check certificate depends on the type of DBS check you received:

Basic DBS Check: This will only reveal details of unspent convictions and conditional cautions.

Standard DBS Check: This includes unspent convictions and cautions, along with some spent convictions (depending on the type and severity of the offense). It may also include information about reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer.

Enhanced DBS Check: This is the most comprehensive check and reveals all the information included in a Standard DBS check, plus additional details like:
– Information police hold about someone but which hasn’t led to a conviction (e.g., repeated allegations of crimes
– Local police intelligence

Important to Note:
– The DBS itself doesn’t decide what information is included in a certificate. This is determined by law and filtering rules.
– Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974: This act allows certain convictions or cautions to become “spent” after a specific period, meaning they shouldn’t be revealed on a Basic DBS check.

There’s no expiry date on any Disclosure certificates. It’s up to each employer to decide how often employees or contractors should apply for a new Disclosure. Usually, a new certificate is asked for annually.