A DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check is not always required, but your employer will require you to have one if a role falls into a certain category of work or you are applying to be a volunteer within certain types of organisation. Here we look at which jobs require such a check, how you can refuse to have one, and what happens if you are a volunteer.

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Types of job that require a check

A recent court case questioned the lawfulness of checks on someone’s criminal record when the person has committed crimes many years previously and was now being disadvantaged as a result; however, there are jobs in certain settings in which a DBS check will always be required. Examples include jobs in hospitals, schools and children’s homes.

Additionally, there are certain careers in which you will need a check to be completed before you can join the profession, including accountants, solicitors, vets and barristers. The most common group of people that require checks are people working in professions in which they are coming into regular contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults. These include medical professionals, social workers, teachers and childminders.

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Volunteers

Volunteers in certain types of organisation will also need to have a check. This will always be the case if the role involves unsupervised contact with vulnerable adults or children. Checks for volunteer roles are free; however, the ’employer’ may choose to use a service such as http://www.carecheck.co.uk/. Such services use the e-bulk checking system, allowing many applications to be processed at once. This can speed up the time in which you receive your certificate.

What if I don’t want to have a check?

If a prospective employer says you must have a check but you do not think the job requires one, you can ask the Disclosure and Barring Service to investigate. In any event, a prospective employer can only request that you have a check when you have been offered a position.

There are many jobs that require checks to be done. If you have never done anything wrong, there is nothing to fear and at least you can be assured that the system is ensuring that employers will be kept informed about those who are unsuitable for particular roles.