This article summarises what DBS checks are, why they are important and how your organisation can ask volunteers for the right level of DBS check.

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Introduction to DBS Checks

1. What is a DBS check?

A DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check is a process for gathering information about a person’s criminal history. It used to be called a CRB check. It helps organisations make safer recruitment decisions and prevents unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, like children or adults at risk. 

DBS Checks are provided by the government. By giving some personal information, like name, address history and contact details, the DBS Checks a person’s criminal history to find if they have any history of criminal convictions.

2. How do I know if my volunteer needs DBS check?

This depends on: 

• What the volunteer will be doing in their role
• Who the volunteer will be interacting with  
• How often they will be volunteering in this role

When you’re thinking about creating a new staff or volunteering role you should identify its potential risks using a risk assessment. This means thinking about:

• what that volunteer will do 
• the level of contact they have with children and/or adults at risk 
• the level of supervision they will have 
• how often they will volunteer in their role 
• where they will volunteer. 

You can then use the Government’s DBS tool to understand if this volunteer needs a DBS check, and which type. 

When you have this information you can begin to think about whether this role is a Regulated Activity. The information below explains DBS checks in more detail.  

3. Is my volunteer role a regulated activity?

A DBS Regulated Activity is a legal phrase used to describe work that involves close and unsupervised contact with vulnerable groups, including children. 

Regulated activity is work that it is against the law for someone who has been found to be barred via a DBS check to do. However, this doesn’t include personal relationships, like family or friends.  

There are two types of Regulated Activity; Regulated Activity relating to Children and Regulated Activity relating to Adults.   

It is not that common for volunteering roles to require a Standard or Enhanced or DBS check. 

Regulated activity includes:  

1. Teaching, training, instructing, caring for or supervising children or vulnerable adults if the person is unsupervised if this is done once a week or more or on three or more days in a 30-day period (or in some cases overnight). 
2. Providing any form of advice or guidance on well-being if this is done once a week or more or on three or more days in a 30-day period (or in some cases overnight). 
3. Moderating something used by children or vulnerable adults e.g. an online forum. if this is done once a week or more or on three or more days in a 30-day period (or in some cases overnight). 
4. Driving a vehicle only for children or vulnerable adults 
5. Volunteering in places where there is opportunity for contact with children or vulnerable adults: for example, schools or care homes, which is unsupervised if this is done once a week or more or on three or more days in a 30-day period (or in some cases overnight). 
6. Any personal care, for example washing or dressing; or health care, even if done once. 
7. A person whose role includes the day-to-day management or supervision of any person who is engaging in Regulated Activity.  

👍Yes – the volunteer should be given a Standard or Enhanced DBS check. Check the list of activities (or use the DBS checking tool) to see if the volunteer will need a Standard, Enhanced or Enhanced With Barred List Check. 

👎 No – you may still be able to give the volunteer a Basic DBS check 

4. Levels of DBS Check

We recommend using the DBS Checker tool before reading this information.

What are the different types of DBS check? 

There are four levels of DBS check.  

1. Basic Check 

What does it check for? A Basic DBS check tells you if a volunteer has any unspent cautions or convictions.  

Who can complete it? Anyone can be asked to complete a Basic DBS. Volunteers can complete these themselves, or you can complete one for the volunteer. 

What does it cost? A basic check costs £21.50. If you go through another organisations, the organisation may also charge an administration fee.

What if a criminal conviction shows up on the DBS? If a criminal conviction shows up on a Basic DBS check, this doesn’t automatically mean the person can’t volunteer.  

You will need to think carefully about how suitable the role is for the person and what alternative safeguarding steps you could take for this person to volunteer safely.  

Basic DBS checks are the most common type of DBS check. 

2. Standard DBS Check 

What does it check for? A Standard DBS check gives information about spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings. 

Some spent cautions and convictions are not included. These are known as protected or filtered offences.  

Cautions and convictions for offences, known as special offences, are treated differently. 

Who can complete it? Only the organisation recruiting the volunteer can request this DBS check. It’s important that you understand your legal responsibilities before you ask anyone to apply for or provide you with a standard or an enhanced DBS certificate as it is against the law to ask for this if not needed.  

See the regulated activity section of this page for more information.  

What does it cost? This DBS check is free for volunteers, but if you go through an organisation they may charge an administration fee. 

3. Enhanced DBS Check 

What does it check for? Enhanced checks give the same information as a standard check, plus any information held by the local police force for their current address and any previous addresses that is relevant to the role. These can only be carried out for certain eligible roles. 

Who can complete it? Only the organisation recruiting the volunteer can request this DBS check. It’s important that you understand your legal responsibilities before you ask anyone to apply for or provide you with a standard or an enhanced DBS certificate as it is against the law to ask for this if not needed.  

See the regulated activity section of this page for more information.  

What does it cost? This DBS check is free for volunteers, but if you go through an organisation they may charge an administration fee.

4. Enhanced DBS Check with Barring 

This gives the same information as an enhanced check, but they also disclose whether the applicant is on the DBS list of people barred from carrying out certain activities with children or adults (depending on which group the person will be working with).  

It is against the law to allow a volunteer on the barred list to volunteer with vulnerable adults or children. 

5. Should I DBS check all volunteers just to be safe?

Criminal history checks shouldn’t be the only way you decide whether someone is suitable for a role. You must make it part of a wider safeguarding risk assessment, and safer recruitment practices. Many people who have harmed others previously, or are otherwise unsuitable volunteers, may not have a criminal record. 

You need to make sure you have reasonable and lawful grounds to ask a volunteer for a DBS check and it is evidenced by things like risk assessments and volunteering role descriptions. 

The DBS Process

1. What does the DBS process involve?

To undergo a DBS check, your volunteer will need:

• A list of all of their addresses for the last 5 years and the dates you lived there
• Your National Insurance number
• A debit or a credit card
• Your passport
• Your driving licence

Mind have put together a helpful guide on understanding the DBS process for volunteers. 

2. Which DBS Agency Should I use? 

Community Southwark doesn’t currently have a recommended DBS provider, but we are working to survey our members to find which agencies you are using. You can find a list of DBS providers on the government website. 

3. How long does a DBS take?

DBS checks can take varying amounts of time depending on the level of check and other factors, but generally range from a few days to several weeks. Basic DBS checks typically take up to 14 days, while Standard and Enhanced checks can take up to four weeks. If you’re registered with DBS you can use the tracking service to track multiple applications.

4. Paying for a DBS check

As an organisation, you should pay for a DBS check if you can and make this clear to the volunteer. This is because volunteers shouldn’t be out of pocket for volunteering. Unfortunately, we know that funding for DBS checks isn’t always possible. London Lifelines are campaigning on this issue to remove the costs for organisations.

When applying for funding, it’s important to factor in the cost of paying for DBS checks. 

Supporting Volunteers through the DBS Process

1. How can I support my volunteer through the DBS process?

Unfortunately, DBS checks are a common point where volunteers drop out of the recruitment process. Some reasons why and potential solutions are explored below. 

The DBS process is taking too long

The process can take time, and during the wait, volunteers may lose motivation. To keep them engaged, consider:

• Offering them a temporary role that doesn’t require a DBS check
• Signing them up for your volunteer newsletter
• Giving them regular updates on their DBS progress

Anxiety About the DBS Process

Some volunteers feel anxious about completing a DBS check because it involves sharing a lot of personal information. This can be especially hard for those with negative experiences of similar checks in the past.

To help with this:

• Clearly explain what the DBS check involves and why it’s needed
• Reassure them about how their information will be used and protected
• Meet with them in person if possible — building trust can make a big difference

Remember, even though DBS checks are important, they are personal and can feel intrusive. Volunteers are more likely to complete the process if they understand and feel comfortable with it.

Not Understanding the Need for a DBS Check

Some volunteers, especially those used to helping informally (like looking after a neighbour’s child), may not see why a formal check is necessary.

Be sure to:

• Explain your organisation’s legal duty to manage risk through DBS checks
• If they’re still uncomfortable, offer a role that doesn’t require a check
• If that’s not possible, be honest about whether your organisation is the right fit for them

2. Refugee and Asylum Seekers and DBS Checks

DBS checks can often be very challenging for Refugees and Asylum seekers as they are less likely to have the documents such as birth certificate or social history documents needed to complete DBS checks. In particular, Asylum Seekers have to hand over their identity documents to the Home Office when they apply for asylum and are given an ID card called an Application Registration Card (ARC) in return. This ID Card from the Home Office is not accepted as proof of ID on the UK by the DBS.

Volunteers without these documents can apply for a DBS check, but it requires visiting a police station in person to be fingerprinted. You can support your volunteer through this, but should consider that it can be retraumatising for many people.

Where possible, it is a good idea to explore volunteering roles which don’t require DBS checks and where risk is managed safely using other tools like references, close volunteer supervision and group volunteering. 

Useful link: DBS Guides for Refugees and Asylum Seekers by Volunteer Centre Sheffield

3. Volunteers with Criminal Records and DBS Checks

For the majority of volunteering roles, volunteers don’t need to disclose their criminal record once it’s ‘spent’. Once the conviction is spent it will no longer appear on a basic DBS certificate and doesn’t need to be disclosed. You need to make sure you have a lawful basis to ask volunteers whether they have a criminal record. 

If a criminal conviction shows up on a DBS check, this doesn’t automatically mean the person can’t volunteer.  You will need to think carefully about the offence found by the DBS check, how suitable the role is for the person and what alternative safeguarding steps you could take for this person to volunteer safely. A Recruiting Volunteers with Criminal Records policy can be useful to lay out what you will do if this happens. 

Unlock lays out helpful guidance on developing a policy for  applicants with a criminal record. 

Useful links

• Recruiting Volunteers with a Criminal Record Toolkit by Giving Time
• Guides by Unlock providing support to ex-offenders undergoing a DBS check
• Do I need to disclose my criminal record? Checking tool by Unlock

4. Gender and Name Change and DBS Checks

DBS checks require disclosure of a volunteer’s name and address history from the past five years. However, the Disclosure and Barring Service offers a Sensitive Applications process to ensure that previous names (and gender) are not disclosed on the DBS certificate or to anyone outside the DBS. This process is important for transgender volunteers. 

When asking a volunteer to complete a DBS check, you should inform them of this option. If they choose to use it, they must contact the DBS Sensitive Applications Team directly—by phone or email—before submitting their application.

A Gender Recognition Certificate is not required to access this process, and volunteers do not need to disclose any details about their gender identity to your organisation, however, volunteers must provide valid ID in their current name when applying. If the applicant is uncomfortable contacting the team themselves, they can nominate someone to act on their behalf.

Outside of the Sensitive Application process, some volunteers may have a different name or gender listed on their DBS certificate than the name or gender they have. For example, the DBS system currently does not allow individuals to select a non-binary gender.

For this reason, it’s important to offer alternative ways for volunteers to share their preferred name and their lived gender if they wish, including inviting all volunteers to state their pronouns.

Useful link: DBS Guidelines for Transgender Applicants

The DBS Update Service

The DBS Update Service allows:

• applicants to keep their DBS certificates up to date
• organisations to check a DBS certificate

The service is for standard and enhanced DBS checks only. It is free for volunteers. 

Volunteers can apply for the update service online.

If your volunteer has previously registered for the service, you can use it to check their DBS status – meaning you won’t need to apply for a new DBS check. 

Contact the DBS Service for support

The DBS Outreach Service provides:

• answering DBS-related queries and providing advice via phone/email
• attending meetings, training and conferences, or visiting your organisation
• developing and delivering presentations, workshops, webinars or discussions to provide an overview of DBS
• collating feedback, suggestions or comments and feeding this back into DBS
• helping organisations/networks to understand what level of DBS check can be applied for, and what information these checks will provide
• informing organisations and employers of their duty or power to refer

You can contact the London Regional Outreach Officer, Kiranpreet Rehal, at kiranpreet.rehal@dbs.gov.uk

Further Reading

• DBS Checks – Detailed Guidance by Disclosure and Barring Service
• Video Guides to DBS by Disclosure and Barring Service
• Getting Started with DBS Checks by NCVO