What is a DBS check? – Innovate Trust Volunteering Hub

A DBS check is a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

A police officer stood next to someone in a jail cell

A DBS check looks at whether you have a criminal record.

Volunteers stood next to someone filling out a DBS check

You will need a DBS check for some volunteering roles.

A person with their thumbs up next to someone volunteering at a library

A DBS check is a way to check that it is safe for you to do your volunteering role.

Volunteers with a child and an older person

The organisation might want to know if you are safe to work with vulnerable groups of people.

An older person and a person with down syndrome

Vulnerable groups of people means people who are more at risk of harm because of their age or disability.

Who are vulnerable people?

Children are a group of people who are vulnerable.

Examples of volunteering roles with children next to a DBS check

You might need a DBS check to volunteer helping children.

Older people are a group of people who are vulnerable. An older person is someone over the age of 65.

Examples of volunteering roles with older people next to a DBS check

You might need a DBS check to volunteer helping older people.

The volunteer role description will tell you if you need a DBS check.

If you apply to be a volunteer and they ask for a DBS check you will need to fill out a form.

A person being handed a DBS form by a worker

The organisation will give you the form to fill out.

You can ask someone you trust to help you fill it out if you like.

Someone pointing at information they need to share for a DBS

You will need to share some information about yourself when you fill out in the form.

You will need to show share some documents to prove who you are.

A passport, driving licence, and birth certificate

This might be your passport, a driving license or your birth certificate.

A document with an address on it next to someone's house

You will need to show some documents to prove where you live.

A letter from the NHS and a household bill

This might be a bank statement, a doctor’s letter or a household bill.

The organisation will send off to the filled-out form to be checked.

Once it is sent off you will need to wait to get the completed DBS check back.

You will be sent a disclosure certificate to your address.

Someone showing their DBS certificate to an organisation

Then you will need to show the disclosure certificate to the organisation you want to volunteer with.

Someone keeping their DBS check safe in a drawer

Keep the disclosure certificate safe.

A person pointing at their watch, waiting, next to someone smiling with their thumbs up

You cannot volunteer until the organisation has seen the disclosure certificate and are happy with what it says.

A DBS check and a with money next to it and a cross over the money

A DBS check for volunteering is usually free.

Someone asking about paying for a DBS check

Some organisations charge a small amount of money for carrying out the DBS check.

Ask the organisation whether you need to pay anything for the DBS check.

It is normal to worry about what a DBS check will find.

Talk to someone you trust if you are worried.

A person with their thumbs up next to a police officer

If you have never been in trouble with the police then you have nothing to worry about.

Someone in distress next to a police officer

If you have been in trouble with the police before, don’t let this put you off applying for volunteering or getting a DBS check.

A person holding their hand up showing they are being honest

It is best to be honest when you are applying to volunteer.

An organisation meeting with someone to talk about their DBS

The organisation you want to volunteer with might want to talk to you if anything came up on the DBS check.

Volunteers stood outside an organisations building

Often, organisations will try their best to include you in the volunteering.

What is a DBS check Download