Checks & records
What is a DBS check?
A DBS check is a criminal records check carried out through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The level available — basic, standard or enhanced — depends on the role, and the higher levels are legally restricted.
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<img src="https://agencyoptix.co.uk/glossary/dbs-check/diagram.svg" alt="DBS check — diagram from AgencyOptix" width="880" height="620" loading="lazy">
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<a href="https://agencyoptix.co.uk/glossary/dbs-check">What is a DBS check?</a> — diagram by
<a href="https://agencyoptix.co.uk">AgencyOptix</a>
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</figure>Eligibility for standard and enhanced checks is set in law by reference to the role, not chosen by the employer. Requesting a level a role is not eligible for is itself a problem, and it is the first thing an audit examines.
A certificate is a snapshot on its issue date. The update service allows a certificate to be rechecked where the person is registered and the level and workforce match, which is how agencies avoid recertifying the same worker repeatedly.
For regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults, barred list checks form part of the enhanced check — and whether a role is regulated activity is a legal question rather than a judgement about how sensitive it feels.
What goes wrong in practice
- A higher level requested than the role is eligible for.
- Old certificates relied on indefinitely with no update service check.
- Barred list checks omitted for roles that are regulated activity.
- Certificate details recorded without the issue date, making currency impossible to assess.