Which DBS Check Should I Apply For?

A DBS Check checks a person’s criminal history, convictions and cautions from the Police National Computer (PNC). Employers from all types of industries such as construction or hospitality, can ask for a basic disclosure to check a candidates criminal record to help them decide if a candidate is suitable for employment. As an employer, you can apply for a Basic DBS Check for an employee by clicking the link, and then selecting which level of check you require at the top of the form.

This level is only available to employers. This means that employers have to obtain the standard DBS check on behalf of their employees.

In this level, an applicant’s criminal history is checked for cautions, warnings, reprimands and convictions received in England and Wales including convictions received in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Standard DBS check is required for lawyers, accountants and other positions of high responsibility. This check will ensure that employees or candidates have no prior offences such as fraud or financial misconduct.

You can apply for a Standard DBS Check by clicking the link, and then selecting “Standard’ at the top of the application form.

Similar to the standards DBS check, this level is only available to employers who will have to request on behalf of their employee.

This level has all of the information contained in the Standard DBS Check. In addition, an Enhanced DBS Check also searches the DBS Children’s Barred List and / or the Vulnerable Adults list if you request it, depending upon your requirements for the role. This ensures that a candidate is not barred from working with vulnerable groups.

These different levels of DBS checks address different needs. Enhanced DBS checks are needed to protect vulnerable groups by ensuring that employees who have frequent and unsupervised contact will have a clear record, so most roles in education and health care will require the Enhanced DBS Check.