Which DBS check does a carer need?
There are four levels of DBS check. Which one a role can have depends on the work, not on what the worker or employer would prefer.
| Level | What it shows | Who applies | DBS fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Unspent convictions and conditional cautions | The individual, or an employer through a responsible organisation | £20 |
| Standard | Spent and unspent convictions and cautions | An organisation only | £20 |
| Enhanced | As standard, and may include non-conviction information from the police | An organisation, or a paid self-employed person or personal employee in an eligible role | £41 |
| Enhanced with barred list(s) | As enhanced, plus a check of one or both barred lists | As enhanced, for regulated activity | £41 |
Personal care work is regulated activity with adults. DBS lists six kinds: health care, personal care, social work, help with cash, bills or shopping, help with the conduct of someone’s affairs, and conveying adults for care. DBS says doing any of them even once puts you in regulated activity, and so makes you eligible for an enhanced check with the adults’ barred list. On the application, carers working with adults are in the adult workforce.
DBS checks for self-employed carers
Until January 2026, self-employed people could get only a basic check on their own. From 21 January 2026, DBS allows paid self-employed people and personal employees to apply for their own enhanced check, including the barred list check, when the work is eligible.
- Apply through a DBS umbrella body. These are organisations registered to submit checks for others; they verify your identity and may charge an administration fee on top of the DBS fee.
- The family cannot do it for you. DBS guidance says the self-employed person or personal employee applies; you cannot ask the private employer or parent to obtain it on your behalf.
- An organisation you contract with may apply instead. If you work for a care provider as a self-employed contractor, it may request the check for you under its own policy.
- A standard check is still organisation-only. The change covers enhanced checks.
Read DBS’s guidance on checks for self-employed people and personal employees before you apply; it includes a worked example of a personal carer paid through direct payments.
What it costs and how long it takes
DBS cut its fees on 5 October 2026: a basic or standard check is now £20, an enhanced check £41 with or without the barred lists, and the Update Service £15 a year. Checks for volunteers stay free.
Timing varies. DBS’s target for 2026–27 is to issue at least 80% of enhanced checks within 14 days. In 2025–26 it issued 75% within that time, with an average of 12.4 calendar days. GOV.UK’s general advice still says standard and enhanced checks usually take around 8 weeks, so allow time before a start date.
The DBS Update Service
The Update Service keeps a standard or enhanced certificate up to date, so you can use it again when you change role.
- It costs £15 a year, and is free for volunteers.
- You must join within 30 days of the certificate being issued, or join while you apply using your application form reference.
- Organisations do a free online status check, with your permission, to see whether anything has changed since the certificate was issued. They must be legally entitled to that level of check.
- It only works for a role that needs the same level of check for the same workforce. An adult-workforce certificate does not cover a role working with children.
Does a DBS check expire?
No. GOV.UK says a DBS check has no official expiry date. The certificate shows what was on record on the day it was issued, so each organisation decides how recent a check it will accept, or whether it relies on an Update Service status check.
For employers: checking a carer’s DBS
- See the original certificate. Check that it is the right level (enhanced, with the adults’ barred list for regulated activity), the right workforce, and the issue date.
- If the carer subscribes to the Update Service, do a status check with their permission. It is free and needs no registration, but you must be legally entitled to ask for that level of check.
- Only request the level of check the role is eligible for. DBS publishes guidance for employers and an eligibility tool.
- CQC-registered providers must also hold the other recruitment information Schedule 3 requires, such as proof of identity with a recent photograph, a full employment history with any gaps explained, and evidence of conduct in previous care work.
How VerriPro checks your DBS
When you join VerriPro, you upload your enhanced DBS certificate in the VerriPro Provider app with your ID, right to work, qualifications, training, insurance and references. A member of the VerriPro team reviews them before your profile can be found or booked. The checks are made on the documents you provide. If a required document expires, you cannot take new bookings until a valid replacement is approved, and VerriPro reminds you before that happens.