This guidance is principally aimed at volunteers and volunteer involving organisations and relates to the disclosure and barring system as it currently exists.

Since March 2002, the Criminal Records Bureau (renamed as the Disclosure and Barring Service in December 2012), has enabled employers to check the criminal records of employees and potential employees, in order to ascertain whether or not they are suitable to work with vulnerable adults and children. For individuals working in certain positions, a valid DBS disclosure is a legislative requirement.

It is illegal for anyone barred by the DBS to work, or apply to work with the sector (children or adults) from which they are barred. It is also illegal for an employer to knowingly employ a barred person in the sector from which they are barred.

A cinema or cultural organisation must register with the DBS, or a registered DBS Umbrella Body before they can request a DBS check on an applicant. The applicant applies to the DBS with their application countersigned by the DBS Registered Organisation or Umbrella Body. The applicant’s criminal record is then accessed from the Police National Computer (PNC), as well as checked, if appropriate, against lists of people considered unsuitable to work with children and vulnerable people maintained by the DBS (formerly maintained by the independent safeguarding authority. A copy of the completed certificate is sent to the applicant’s home address.

Individuals and the self-employed cannot apply for a check on themselves.

DBS checks are free of charge for volunteers, but the check will be subject to an administration fee by the umbrella body to cover the cost of processing the check. DBS checks for paid employees are also subject to a charge from the DBS in addition to the admin fee. For more information about charges please visit our pricing page.

Guidance on how to identify if a DBS check is required can be found on the DBS website or by contacting your local VCS office and asking for a DBS advisor.

*** If an individual or organisation has safeguarding concerns regarding a member of staff, they can make a safeguarding referral to the DBS who will work with multiple agencies to assess whether that individual should be barred from working in regulated activity with children and/or vulnerable groups.