GovWire

class="gem-c-govspeak govuk-govspeak gem-c-govspeak--direction-ltr js-disable-youtube govuk-!-margin-bottom-0">

Employers can check your criminal record no matter what role you apply for. This is called a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

For certain roles an employer can request a more detailed DBS check, for example if youll be working with children or in healthcare.

Your employer can still request a basic check if they cannot get a more detailed check for your role.

Find out what type of DBS check your employer can request for your role.

Types of check

The types of DBS check are:

• a basic check, which shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• a standard check, which shows any spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings
• an enhanced check, which shows the same as a standard check plus any information held by local police thats considered relevant to the role
• an enhanced check with barred lists, which shows the same as an enhanced check plus whether youre on the list of people barred from doing the role

Check your own record

Your employer can ask you to request your own basic check.

It costs 21.50.

You can then show it to the person youll be working for.

If youre self-employed

You can only request a basic check for yourself.

You can ask an organisation youre working with to get a standard, enhanced or enhanced with barred lists check for you, where the role is eligible.

If youre a childminder, you can get a check through Ofsted.

If youve lived abroad

The check will not cover any time you lived outside the UK. The person requesting the check may ask you:

• to get a check in the country you lived in
• for your permission to get a check on your behalf through an embassy