Enhanced DBS Checks
Enhanced DBS checks offer the most thorough background screening, including details of spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, warnings, and additional relevant information from local police records. Secure Enhanced DBS checks online with Checks Direct to ensure the highest level of safeguarding and regulatory compliance.
Make every check count
- Register for a free account
- Apply for checks
- Expert application review
- Receive your results
DBS and other vetting checks processed per year
Our quickest turnaround time to-date for an Enhanced DBS Check
of clients would recommend us
Eligibility for Enhanced DBS checks
Enhanced DBS Checks are used across a number of industries, including (but not limited to): care, education, cleaning, finance, legal, recruitment, sport, medical, and security.
Enhanced Checks are only available to employers acting on behalf of their employee or applicant, who must give their consent. Individual people can’t apply for this check directly. If you’re self-employed, you need to apply through an association or organisation that uses your services.
As an employer, you are legally responsible for ensuring that job roles requiring an Enhanced DBS Check are appropriately managed and comply with legal requirements. These checks are generally required for positions that involve working with vulnerable groups, such as children or adults receiving care. Eligibility is determined by the type of role and whether it falls under the legal definitions set out in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions Order) and the Police Act 1997. You must select the relevant workforce during your application and have permission from the applicant or employee.
Our process
Our process is accessible and straightforward thanks to our bespoke system. As an umbrella body of the DBS, we provide a reliable and efficient service that can be tailored to your needs.
We go above and beyond to provide first-class customer care, and one-to-one expert advice is available every step of the way from our dedicated and accredited team.
Register easily online for free
You can set up an account in a matter of minutes, submit applications on our user-friendly portal and manage checks on your dashboard.
Apply for checks
To ensure efficiency, our team will use their expertise to check your applications. We will make sure the information is accurate and valid.
Receive your results
You will be notified when the results are ready. Our fast turnaround provides confirmation of your checks and peace of mind.
What our clients say
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Enhanced DBS check pricing
Our competitive pricing ensures organisations can maintain regulatory compliance and operational integrity without excessive costs. We offer transparent, cost-effective rates with no hidden fees, enabling you to conduct all necessary checks efficiently across your entire workforce.
| No of Checks | Cost ex VAT | Cost inc VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Rate | £63.67 | £66.50 |
| 51 – 300 | £58.67 | £60.50 |
| 301 – 500 | £58.46 | £60.25 |
| 501 – 750 | £57.63 | £59.25 |
| 751 – 1000 | £55.54 | £56.75 |
| 1001+ | £54.50 | £55.50 |
Benefits of Enhanced DBS checks with us
Carrying out employment screening is important for safeguarding. We help you save time, money and resources. You’ll also enjoy a range of other benefits:
Safety
Make safer recruitment decisions and vet staff to a higher standard.
Trust
Build trust in your organisation and amongst your community.
Reassurance
Receive accurate reports and have peace of mind in your recruitment decisions.
Efficiency
Meet your resource demands with our fast-track vetting system.
Retention
Increase staff retention by appointing the right people in the right places.
Compliance
Receive advice to perform the right level of check and meet industry standards.
What is an Enhanced DBS check?
An Enhanced DBS Check includes the same information as a Standard DBS check but may contain ‘soft’ non-conviction information supplied by the police, such as a person being under investigation for a crime but not yet charged. It can also include barred list vetting checks, such as the Children’s Barred List and the Adults’ Barred list, at the request of the employer. Enhanced DBS checks are the highest level of criminal record check and are used for roles working with children or vulnerable adults.
Enhanced DBS Checks provide a certificate that includes spent and unspent cautions, warnings, reprimands and convictions under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.
Enhanced DBS Checks Online for Employers
Employers can easily process Enhanced DBS checks online through Checks Direct for both single and bulk applications. This type of check offers a more thorough vetting process, including spent and unspent convictions, cautions, and relevant police information, making it ideal for roles involving vulnerable groups. With Checks Direct’s secure platform, you can manage multiple checks efficiently, ensuring compliance and safeguarding your workforce with timely results and seamless communication throughout the process
Checks for applicants who have lived or worked overseas
DBS checks only verify UK criminal record information. We offer specialised Overseas Criminal Record Checks to help you verify the history of applicants who have spent time outside of the UK.
Make every check count
Keep your organisation compliant and people safe with our independent and verified checks.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Regulated activity is work that a barred person must not do, outlined in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and amended by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. The DBS publishes guidance to determine what counts as regulated activity but there’s no definitive list.
Basic DBS Checks can be obtained for anyone; whereas Standard and Enhanced DBS Checks can only be obtained for certain roles. They also include different checks. Basic DBS Checks reveal unspent convictions and conditional cautions. Standard DBS Checks include both spent and unspent convictions along with cautions, reprimands, and warnings. Enhanced DBS Checks provide all the information from the Standard Check plus additional details from local police and checks against barred lists for roles involving regulated activities.
If you’ve checked the DBS eligibility criteria and you’re still unsure, contact us and we will be on hand to help. We can advise you through the options to help you apply for the right DBS Check for your specific compliance, regulatory or employment needs.
To qualify for an Enhanced DBS Check, employees would need to be working in a position which involves regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of children or a person aged 18 or over who fits the DBS definition of a vulnerable adult.
To process an Enhanced DBS Check, you will first need to set up an application under the Standard/Enhanced tab on your dashboard. Once the application and ID checks have been completed, you will be able to select the level of disclosure you require. This is where you will be able to choose an Enhanced DBS, along with any Barred List checks required.
Enhanced DBS certificates can be signed up to the DBS Update Service and transferred between job roles as long as the level of check conducted meets the new job role’s requirements.
There’s no expiry date for a DBS Certificate. However, the DBS suggest a renewal is carried out every three years. In some cases, this can differ according to an employer’s best practice or regulations set by external regulators.
The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (ROA), deems some offences as ‘spent’ after a specific period of time. ‘Unspent’ refers to offences that have not reached the time period required to become spent.
DBS stands for Disclosure and Barring Service.
An Enhanced DBS check is a more comprehensive background check than a Standard DBS check. In addition to all the information included on Basic and Standard checks, an Enhanced check may also disclose relevant non-conviction information held by local police forces, such as police warnings.
Unfortunately, an individual can’t obtain their own Enhanced DBS Certificate. The application must be submitted on your behalf by the employer or agency you’re working for.
We offer volume based pricing for Enhanced DBS checks. See our pricing page for full pricing details.
Supporting services
Our additional services can be used alongside Enhanced DBS checks to provide comprehensive compliance and peace of mind.
