DBS Checks

The type of DBS check required will determine whether the candidate has any relevant spent or unspent criminal convictions that should be considered when making a hiring decision.

As an employer you’ll want to know if you’re hiring the right person for the job. DBS checks help you make safer and more informed hiring decisions that help to create and maintain safer working environments.

A DBS check may be suitable for anyone who will be working in England, Wales, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man. If the candidate will be working across multiple locations, a DBS check will be processed if you, as the employer, are based in England, Wales, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man.

Ordering a DBS check through Sterling is easy and quick. All you need to do is order a criminal record check for your candidate via our modern Client Hub. We then process your request based on the details you and the candidate provide, such as where the candidate will be working or where you, as the employer, are based.

If you’re new to Sterling and would like to order services such as a DBS check, please contact us.

The candidate will be guided to provide exactly what is needed for the required searches to be conducted.

Once your order is placed, we invite the candidate to log in to Sterling’s Candidate Hub, where they are guided to provide the necessary information and consent for the check to proceed. We then need to verify the candidate’s identity before submitting the request to the DBS for their disclosure team to process. As soon as the DBS have completed the check, they let Sterling know and we will update you with the outcome of the check, so that you have the information necessary to make an informed hiring decision. The candidate will receive instructions on how to download and share a digital certificate and will also be sent a hard copy.

There are three different types of DBS checks depending on the type of role the candidate is being recruited for:

Basic – A Basic Disclosure is available to any individual applying for (or already employed in a position. The Basic Disclosure certificate will contain details of convictions (and conditional cautions in England and Wales) that are considered to be unspent under the terms of the applicable Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA).

Standard – A Standard Disclosure is only suitable for certain eligible roles, such as a security guard, financial regulated position, etc. The Standard Disclosure certificate will contain details of relevant spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, and warnings that are held on the Police National Computer, which are not subject to filtering.

Enhanced – An Enhanced Disclosure is only suitable for certain eligible roles, such as teachers, nurses, certain care workers, etc. The Enhanced Disclosure certificate will contain details of relevant spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings that are held on the Police National Computer, which are not subject to filtering, and may also contain non-conviction information supplied by relevant police forces, if it is deemed relevant. If eligible, an enhanced disclosure can also include a check of the child and/or adult barred lists.

A member of the Sterling team will work with you to provide guidance and ensure the right type of DBS check is ordered for different types of roles in your organisation.

A basic DBS check: shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions

A standard DBS check: shows spent and unspent convictions and cautions

An enhanced DBS check: shows the same as a standard check plus any information held by local police that’s considered relevant to the role, and can also include information from the child and/or adult barred lists.

Sterling has a direct integration with the Disclosure and Barring Service for Basic DBS checks. This means that many DBS checks processed via this automated service are returned within 24 hours.

If the candidate will be working in certain types of roles (such as with children or vulnerable adults), it’s against the law for an employer to hire someone who is barred from working with these groups.

As an employer hiring individuals within regulated activities involving adults, the DBS Adult First Service may allow the applicant to start work sooner under supervision. The results of this check may indicate whether they can begin work under supervision, or whether the employer should wait for the full results of the Enhanced DBS check.

For certain types of checks, there are ways to speed up the checks or recruitment process.

The DBS Update Service is a status check that allows employers to see if any relevant information has been identified about the individual since their certificate was last issued. It’s important to note that the update service is linked to a certificate and therefore the check will confirm if any changes have occurred to the status reported on the certificate. A candidate can sign up multiple certificates to the Update Service.

For roles that require an Enhanced DBS check, an Adult First check is a quick search of the Adult’s barred lists. If this returns a clear result, the candidate can commence supervised work while waiting for the Enhanced DBS check to be processed.

Sterling is able to provide International Criminal Record Searches where available and legally compliant. The process, turnaround time, and cost will vary depending on the jurisdiction.

There is no official expiry date for a DBS check. However, the information reported is accurate at the time the check was completed. As the employer, you may wish to consider whether a new check is required. Sterling can provide best practice guidance and considerations when it comes to criminal record checks and rescreening your employees.

The DBS charges different fees depending on the type of check required. Sterling pays the fee and passes the cost onto the employer as part of an outsourced background check service. Current DBS fees can be viewed here.