DBS / PVG Checks

Always arrange a meeting with a childcare provider before using their services and ask to see an original copy of their Enhanced DBS check and other documents. If a provider does not have a recent Enhanced DBS check, you should ask them to apply for one.

DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks are the name given to criminal record checks in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. You can find out more on gov.uk.

In Scotland, childminders and nannies can undergo a Basic Disclosure or PVG check. You can find more information on Disclosure Scotland. In Northern Ireland, AccessNI, a branch of the Department of Justice, provide a Criminal History Disclosure Service.

It is very important that parents check that their potential childcarer has an Enhanced DBS / PVG check in place and read any comments on the disclosure carefully.

Read our detailed guide on Enhanced DBS Checks Explained

Everyone who lives in a childminder’s house who is over the age of 16 must also have a DBS check. Checks are not normally updated by Ofsted (for English childminders) but are renewed every 3 years in Wales. Parents might find that some childcarers have more than one check if they do other child-related voluntary or paid work. 

It is recommend that anyone working with children holds an Enhanced DBS check rather than a Basic or Standard DBS check.

A DBS / PVG check will help parents to find out more about the criminal history of their potential childcarer and / or childminder’s family. The following information is included in an Enhanced DBS disclosure:

• Spent and unspent convictions;

• Cautions, warnings and reprimands via a search on the Police national database;

• Notification if the person is listed on the children’s or vulnerable adults’ barred list;

• Information held by Police or SAAFA if the childcarer has been in the army;

• Social services concerns relating to the childcarers children or family history.

Note that a DBS check is not infallible because it is only up-to-date on the day it is undertaken. However, it can provide parents with useful insights into their childcare provider's past. There is something called the DBS Update Service which lets applicants keep their DBS certificates up-to-date online and allows employers to check a certificate online. The update service will inform you if there have been any changes to the DBS certificate since the date it was issued.

When checking the DBS Update Service, it is very important to also view the original DBS certificate and to verify that the certificate number matches the one showing on the Update Service. This is because the Update Service will only show if there are any changes since the original certificate was issued and the original certificate may contain adverse information.

Find out more about how to check someone's criminal record as an employer

Please note that Childcare.co.uk cannot verify DBS / PVG checks for childcare providers who are registered on our platform. It is therefore very important that parents carry out their own robust checks during and after the interview process, including undertaking, where necessary, their own Enhanced DBS checks on candidates before they start work.

Applying for a DBS Check on a childcare provider or tutor if you are a parent or other employer

There are many organisations, known as 'umbrella bodies' that you can use to undertake a DBS check for a prospective employee.

The .gov.uk Home Office DBS website has a searchable list of umbrella bodies who can undertake DBS checks.

Parents can also use the 'Request a new DBS Check' button on a Childcare.co.uk provider's profile to ask them to complete a new Enhanced DBS check. If the provider accepts the request, they will receive an email with further instructions from our partner, uCheck, who are one of the largest DBS umbrella bodies. The childcare provider will be required to pay for the cost of the check.

Can a childcare provider or tutor apply for their own DBS check?

Enhanced DBS checks can only generally be applied for by employers rather than employees or self-employed childcare providers.

However, gold and silver members of our platform, can apply for an Enhanced DBS check via uCheck - the UK's largest umbrella body for DBS checks.

Childcare providers planning to register with Ofsted can use the Ofsted DBS Application portal provided by Matrix Watchdog to apply for an Enhanced DBS check. Find out more about how a childcare provider can obtain a DBS check for Ofsted registration.

If you live in England or Wales, it is possible to request your own Basic DBS check directly from the Disclosure and Barring Service. However this does not provide as much information as an Enhanced DBS check and it not usually considered sufficient when working with children.

You can also apply online for a Basic Disclosure from Disclosure Scotland which is the simplest form of check and contains only convictions considered unspent under The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

In Northern Ireland, you can apply online for an AccessNI basic criminal records check.

The .gov website also has information on DBS checks for childminders and childcare workers.