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DBS

Disclosure & Barring Service

What is DBS?

DBS is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Home Office.

The Disclosure and Barring Service helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions each year by processing and issuing DBS checks for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. DBS also maintains the Adults’ and Children’s Barred Lists, and makes considered decisions as to whether an individual should be included on one or both of these lists and barred from engaging in regulated activity.

DBS Checks

Adam holds a clear and up to date DBS check certificate.

The disclosure teams carry out DBS checks (previously known as CRB, or criminal record checks).

There are four types of DBS check, and each type results in a DBS certificate being issued to an individual. Employers can then ask to see the certificate to ensure that they are recruiting suitable people into their organisation.

The four levels of DBS check are:

  1. Basic DBS check
  2. Standard DBS check
  3. Enhanced DBS check
  4. Enhanced with Barred List(s) DBS check

The Different Types Of DBS Checks

A Basic DBS check is for any purpose, including employment. The certificate will contain details of convictions and conditional cautions that are considered to be unspent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.

A Standard DBS check is suitable for certain roles, such as a security guard. The certificate will contain details of both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings that are held on the Police National Computer, which are not subject to filtering

An Enhanced DBS check is suitable for people working with children or adults in certain circumstances such as those in receipt of healthcare or personal care. An Enhanced DBS check is also suitable for a small number of other roles such as taxi licence applications or people working in the Gambling Commission.

An Enhanced with Barred Lists DBS check is also suitable for people working with children or adults in certain circumstances such as those in receipt of healthcare or personal care.

Barring

An Enhanced with Barred Lists DBS check will include a check of one or both of the Barred Lists that DBS manages and maintains. If an individual is listed, this will appear on their DBS certificate.

It is our responsibility at DBS to maintain these lists. This area of our work involves making fair, consistent, and thorough decisions that are appropriate to the behaviour that has occurred, and consider the risk of future harm

Learn More

To learn more on the Disclousre & Barring Service, visit the offical Government website via the link below

Disclosure & Barring Service