Do you need an Enhanced DBS check?
Enhanced DBS checks are required for individuals having a certain level of access to; and/or working directly with, children/young people or adults at risk.
What is an Enhanced DBS check used for?
An Enhanced DBS check is used as a part of the recruitment process for those working in specific roles with children/young people and/or adults at risk. The activities an individual will undertake in a role should be assessed to decide if a check is required and if so, which
level of check is applicable.
Do you, or does someone working for you need an Enhanced DBS?
The following list gives some examples of positions likely to be eligible for an Enhanced DBS check, but is by no means exhaustive: dance practitioners, teachers, activity leaders, healthcare workers, social work staff, child minders, unsupervised volunteers, managers responsible for staff working with vulnerable people, anyone working in a school, nursery, children's home, childcare premises, anyone providing healthcare, personal care, or who assists with the managing of someone’s affairs or finances.
Examples of positions unlikely to be eligible for an Enhanced DBS check: administrators, receptionists, cleaners, catering staff.
Which level of DBS check is required?
The table below shows the level of check and the information that will be shown on the DBS certificate.
Level of DBS check |
Information shown on the DBS certificate |
Standard DBS check
(not used for work with vulnerable groups) |
Details of all spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings (apart from filtered convictions and cautions*) held on central police records. |
Enhanced DBS check |
The same as a Standard check plus any additional information held on police records that are considered relevant to the job in question. |
Enhanced DBS with barred list check (for work in 'regulated activity' only) |
The same as an Enhanced DBS, plus a check of the DBS children and /or adult barred lists - a list of individuals who are barred from working with children or adults at risk. This level of check can be applied for with jobs that involve caring for, supervising or being in sole charge of children or adults at risk - in regulated activity. |
* A Court of Appeal judgement in January 2013 stated that the disclosure of all cautions and convictions on a DBS certificate was incompatible with Article 8 of the Convention for Human Rights. As a result, filtering rules for old and minor cautions and convictions were introduced. See Filtering in Definitions and Contacts section below.