5 Surprising Jobs That Require a DBS Check

Some employment laws require those in specific roles to have had a DBS check to ensure nothing comes up that might relate to the role in question. In this article, we’re going to talk about five surprising jobs that require a DBS check.

Employment can come with plenty of issues, including the requirement to undergo a DBS check in certain roles. Most people presume the only jobs that require a DBS check would be those which work with children or vulnerable adults, but that’s not the case. There are many other jobs that require DBS checks, usually done for public and employment safety.

It's important that you know your rights with regards to these checks. If you want to know your employment rights, a Manchester, Bristol, London or Dorset law firm can provide the answers you need. A solicitor will be able to inform you whether this is necessary for your particular role. 

The question is, what roles are these checks normally expected? Keep reading to find out more about the five surprising jobs that require a DBS check.

What is a DBS Check? 

A DBS check, otherwise known as Disclosure & Barring Service check, has four different levels, and these are:

• Basic DBS check: will contain information regarding unspent convictions and/or cautions.

• Standard DBS check: will contain information regarding unspent and spent convictions, cautions, reprimands and/or final warnings. It does not include protected convictions and cautions.

• Enhanced DBS check: will contain the same information as a standard DBS check, plus any additional information that relates to the job.

• Enhanced with Barred List(s) DBS check: will contain the same information as an enhanced DBS check, plus a check of the Disclosure and Barring Service’s children and adults barring lists.

Each check contains different information and is used depending on the type of job that the individual is applying for. For example, an Enhanced DBS check and Enhanced with Barred List(s) DBS check is most usually done when the individual is applying for a job where they are working with children or a care related role.

For more information regarding the different levels of DBS checks, please see the GOV.UK website.

What Are the Surprising Jobs That Require a DBS Check?

1.    Accountants 

For someone to become a chartered accountant, they will be required to apply for a standard DBS check, as they are listed as an ‘excepted profession’ under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Accountants and other financial advisors are most often in charge of large amounts of money and have a lot of responsibility in their employment roles. Therefore, for business safety reasons, a DBS will help prevent those who have criminally minded intentions from committing acts such as fraud.

2.    Members of The Locksmiths Association

In the UK, before someone can be accepted into the Master Locksmiths Association so that they are fully licensed to become a locksmith, they are required to undergo a standard DBS check. The reason for this is that locksmiths have the training to break into property or vehicles without damage, as it is their everyday job. It needs to be ensured that the reason they’re training is legitimate, and not going to be used for criminal activity in the future.

3.    Veterinarian

Any person who wishes to take employment up as a veterinarian will be required to undergo a standard DBS check. This is because veterinarians are required to be people of sound character and, in particular, must not have anything on their record in regard to animals.

4.    Traffic Warden

It might seem strange that someone who deals with parking regulations is required to undertake a DBS check, but they, like chartered accountants, are listed as an ‘excepted profession’ on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 list. The reason for this is that the role itself requires plenty of interaction with the general public, which could include children and vulnerable adults.

5.    Scrap Metal Merchants

This is another role where the law requires anyone wanting to be a scrap metal merchant to have a basic DBS check done. Before the law changed, many merchants were knowingly purchasing scrap metal from criminals who had stolen the metal. Therefore, the law now requires those involved in this industry to be of honest character, and keep up to date complete records of people they buy the scrap metal from.

A DBS Check Showing Criminal Record Doesn’t Necessarily Mean You Won’t Get the Job

What we can conclude is that many jobs do require some level of DBS check where there is the possibility that the job could be used for ill intentions. However, if it happens that a DBS check does show a conviction, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the person will be unable to be employed, especially if the conviction has no relation to the role that they are applying for.

Of course, there will be certain occasions where a conviction will prevent that individual from being employed, especially if there is a connection between the role and the conviction.

Please be advised that this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for advice from a trained employment law professional. Be sure to consult an employment law professional or solicitor if you’re seeking advice surrounding employment laws. We are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.