DBS checks for Care Workers, NHS Staff and Private healthcare

DBS Checks are mandatory for nearly every role in the health and social care sector. Working in these fields means treating, caring for and supporting some of the most vulnerable members of society. DBS Checks give you the information you need to make safe and informed recruitment decisions that protect your patients, clients and your business. Thousands of social care providers, NHS medical and dental practices and private health care services across the UK already rely on Personnel Checks to support them with their DBS Checks.

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Enhanced DBS Checks

Most roles in health and social care require an Enhanced DBS Check. This level of check shows an individual's full criminal record history. This includes cautions, warnings, reprimands, spent and unspent convictions, an optional search of the Barred Lists, as well as any relevant notes from the police.

Employers in this sector need this information to ensure inappropriate people aren’t recruited into roles where they pose a danger to vulnerable people. To be eligible for an Enhanced DBS Check, certain eligibility criteria need to be met.

These criteria generally involve the provision of healthcare or personal support to an individual who due to age, illness or disability cannot support themselves.

Volunteer DBS Checks

Volunteer DBS Checks are exactly the same as the Enhanced DBS Check, except they are offered at a significantly discounted rate. To be eligible for these checks an individual must meet the following definition:

“Any person engaged in an activity which involves spending time, unpaid (except for travel and other approved out-of-pocket expenses), doing something which aims to benefit some third party and not a close relative.”

As this is still an Enhanced level of check, individuals requiring a Volunteer DBS Check must also meet the usual eligibility criteria for an Enhanced DBS Check. If you’re not sure whether they meet the criteria for Volunteer DBS Checks, give us a call on 01254 355659 and we can discuss this with you.

Standard DBS Checks

Certain roles in these fields only require a Standard DBS Check. These checks are the same as the Enhanced DBS Check, except they don’t include police notes or a search of the Barred Lists. These checks are generally for roles where no direct care or assistance is required, such as medical receptionists or contractors working on hospital sites.

The eligibility criteria that determines what roles need what level of DBS Check can be extremely complex. If you’re unsure whether a staff member requires an Enhanced or Standard DBS Check, please get in touch. To discuss it with a member of the team, give us a call on 01254 355659, alternatively, click the button below to request a callback.

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Why Personnel Checks

Personnel Checks support a range of health and social care clients with their screening requirements. From local authority social services to private health and dental care, you can be sure we have the experience to meet your organisation’s unique requirements. Processing background checks for nearly two decades, we have one of the lowest error rates and fastest turnaround times of any screening business in the UK.

To request a callback, click the button below and one of our experts will get in touch with you asap. Alternatively, you can give us a call on 01254 355659.

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Frequently asked questions

We would never recommend accepting a DBS Check that has been issued in another employers name. The information contained on a DBS Certificate is only valid at the time of issue. This means there is potential for new information to have been recorded on someones criminal record history in the time that’s elapsed since its issue. This is true regardless of how recently the check has been issued.
The only exception to this would be if the person you were recruiting had signed up for the DBS Update Service. However, the individual would still need to have the original certificate they signed up with and the role would need to require the exact same level of DBS Check.
If you are unsure, we would always recommend caution and carry out another DBS Check.
A criminal record check is a search carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This is why they are generally referred to as DBS Checks. The DBS check against the Police National Computer, their records and local police data to produce a DBS Certificate containing an applicants criminal record history.
The DBS also maintain the Adult’s and Children’s Barred Lists. These lists contain the names of individuals barred from working with either children, vulnerable adults or both. Enhanced DBS Checks will include a check of the relevant Barred Lists if it is appropriate considering the job role someone is applying for.
In certain circumstances, individuals may be on the Barred Lists even if they have not been convicted of an offence. This is because the DBS use a civil standard of proof known as ‘the balance of probabilities’. If the DBS believe there is enough evidence to suggest it is probable that an offence could occur in the future, they will consider putting someone on the Barred Lists.
The cost of a DBS Check varies depending on which level of check is being applied for. Our list prices are:
Basic DBS Check: £43.10
Standard DBS Check: £52.20
Enhanced DBS Check: £75.90
Volunteer DBS Check: £26.40
What you see is what you get. We have no hidden fees and we don’t charge extra for ‘fast-track’ services that don’t exist.
Prices include VAT.

DBS Checks can’t be renewed but getting new checks for existing staff is commonly referred to as a renewal. We expand on this in more detail in our knowledge hub article, here.
The general best practice is to have new DBS Checks completed every 3-years. However, certain organisations have more specific rules about this so it’s best to familiarise yourself with your own organisation’s requirements.
The DBS do run a subscription service, called the DBS Update Service. For a nominal fee (13.p.a) individuals can register their DBS certificate to the Update Service and the DBS will then keep this updated with any information.

If your staff sign up to the DBS Update Service, they can give you consent to carry out ‘status checks’ on their record. This would prevent the need for renewing your staff’s DBS Checks.
Regulated activity is work that a barred person cannot do. It refers to certain roles generally involving children and/or vulnerable adults. The vast majority of roles in the medical, healthcare or social care sectors are classed as carrying out regulated activity. This is because these roles commonly involve providing medical, social or personal care services.
The Disclosure and Barring Service have guidance booklets relating to roles in the Child Workforce, Adult Workforce and Other Workforce.
Anyone applying to become a CQC registered person within a firm must have an Enhanced DBS Check with the relevant Barred List searches completed before submitting an application. This DBS Check must be countersigned directly by the CQC. A DBS countersigned by any other body, for this purpose, will not be accepted.
Nominated individuals are not required to directly register with the CQC. An Enhanced DBS Check must still be carried out (incl. relevant Barred List searches) but this check can be carried out by a DBS Umbrella Body, like Personnel Checks.