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 provide a certificate that includes spent and unspent cautions, warnings, reprimands and convictions under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.

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
Security

Enhanced DBS 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’re legally responsible for making sure job roles are eligible for Standard DBS Checks or Enhanced DBS Checks. These checks are generally required for positions that involve working with vulnerable groups, such as children or adults receiving care. You must select the relevant workforce during your application and have permission from the applicant or employee.

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.

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.

Easy and free registration

You can set up an account in a matter of minutes, submit applications on our user-friendly portal and manage checks on your dashboard.

Applying 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.

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.

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 give you expert advice on guidance so you apply for the DBS Check you need.

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, that can differ according to an employer’s best practice or regulations set by external regulators.