DBS criminal record checks
Whether in England and Wales (DBS), Scotland (Disclosure Scotland) or Northern Ireland (AccessNI), criminal record checks are vital for workplace safety.
Reed Screening provides DBS checks for employers, organisations and eligible self‑employed professionals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a 0.01% submission error rate compared to the 10% national average. Our digital solution delivers industry‑leading turnaround times, and we also offer criminal record checks in over 200 countries, find out more on our overseas criminal record checks page.
England & Wales
The DBS has strict eligibility criteria for obtaining a criminal record check in England and Wales (including Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man). These criteria apply to employers, organisations and self‑employed professionals. If the eligibility requirements are not met, our team may contact you.
To determine the appropriate type of DBS check for a role, you can use the DBS eligibility tool.
If you require a DBS check for a volunteer in a role that would qualify as exempt for the DBS fee, please contact our team directly.
Basic (DBS)
The Basic check requires no specific eligibility and will reveal any convictions, cautions or reprimands that have not been filtered and are considered unspent.
Standard (DBS)
A Standard check is mandatory for individuals in high-responsibility roles, such as lawyers, accountants, or those with access to sensitive medical information. This check is crucial for mitigating risks to your organisation, employees, and customers.
Enhanced (DBS)
An Enhanced check is the highest level available and may include a Child and/or Adult Barred List check. It's required for roles listed in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, especially those involving direct care or guidance of children or vulnerable adults.
*AssuredID: If your candidate has an in-date British or Irish passport (or Irish passport card), you can use our Digital ID checking platform (AssuredID) instead of obtaining documents.
Scotland
Disclosure Scotland has strict eligibility criteria for obtaining criminal record checks in Scotland, including requirements under the PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) Scheme. These criteria apply to employers and organisations. If the eligibility requirements are not met, our team may contact you.
To determine the appropriate type of check for a role, you should refer to Disclosure Scotland guidance, including whether the role is eligible for PVG scheme membership.
Basic (DS)
The Basic (DS) check requires no specific eligibility and will reveal any convictions, cautions or reprimands that have not been filtered and are considered unspent.
Standard (DS)
A Standard (DS) check is mandatory for individuals in high-responsibility roles, such as lawyers, accountants, or those with access to sensitive medical information. This check is crucial for mitigating risks to your organisation, employees, and customers.
Enhanced (DS)
An Enhanced (DS) check is the most comprehensive level available and can include a Child and/or Adult Barred List check. It is mandatory for roles specified in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, particularly those involving direct care or guidance of children or vulnerable adults.
Northern Ireland
AccessNI has strict eligibility criteria for obtaining criminal record checks in Northern Ireland. These criteria apply to employers, organisations and self‑employed professionals. If the eligibility requirements are not met, our team may contact you.
Basic (AccessNI)
The Basic (AccessNI) check requires no specific eligibility and will reveal any convictions, cautions or reprimands that have not been filtered and are considered unspent.
Standard (AccessNI)
A Standard (AccessNI) check is mandatory for individuals in high-responsibility roles, such as lawyers, accountants, or those with access to sensitive medical information. This check is crucial for mitigating risks to your organisation, employees, and customers.
Enhanced (AccessNI)
An Enhanced (AccessNI) check is the most comprehensive level available and can include a Child and/or Adult Barred List check. It is mandatory for roles specified in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, particularly those involving direct care or guidance of children or vulnerable adults.
Enterprise-scale DBS screening (50+ candidates)
Enterprise-scale businesses often require a bespoke package to screen a larger number of candidates, find a cost effective, robust solution that suits your needs.
Why choose Reed Screening?
When it comes to criminal record checks, Reed Screening is in the DBS’s top 50 registered bodies to perform this background screening service. Our Director, Keith Rosser, is also Chair of the Criminal Records Trade Body (CRTB).
At Reed Screening we are proud to have a submission error rate of 0.01% vs the 10% national average, meaning you can rest assured your checks are being performed accurately. Our criminal record checks are available to be purchase online, as and when you require them, so you can get started right away. The average time for criminal record checks to be complete is between five and eight days.
What's required?
The required identity verification documents are listed below for Basic, Standard and Enhanced DBS screening, however please visit this government page for additional information.
Passport and driving licence, or
Passport and utility bill (dated within the last three months), or
Passport and council tax bill (dated within the last 12 months).
These checks are available for employers, organisations, and self‑employed individuals who need to screen candidates or, in the case of self‑employed professionals, to support their own compliance requirements. These checks are for individuals based in the UK only. If international checks are required, please do not purchase this package and instead get in touch with one of our experts to discuss your requirements.
The average turnaround time for these checks is five days, but to ensure the process runs smoothly, please ensure that you have verified two eligible documents for your candidate(s). Note: third party checks can take up to 10-15 working days though this can be longer in certain circumstances.
Our refund policy
All screening packages and products offered by Reed Screening are available to employers and organisations. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, certain checks may also be available to self‑employed individuals where eligibility criteria are met. Please note that in Scotland, checks are only available to employers and organisations.
If you purchase a product that does not meet the relevant eligibility requirements, we will arrange for the full cost to be refunded to you.
DBS & criminal record check FAQs
Reed Screening offers three types of DBS checks:
Basic DBS check: Reveals unspent convictions, cautions, or reprimands
Standard DBS check: Includes spent and unspent convictions, cautions, and warnings. Suitable for high-responsibility roles like lawyers or accountants
Enhanced DBS check: The most comprehensive, including additional police information and optional checks for the Child and/or Adult Barred List. Required for roles involving children or vulnerable adults
A DBS, Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI check, examines the criminal record of a job applicant. It’s commonly required for positions in healthcare or childcare. A basic criminal record check reveals any unspent convictions or cautions.
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI check is required for certain roles, especially those involving vulnerable groups. There are three levels of criminal record checks: basic, standard, and enhanced. A basic check is suitable for any role and shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions. Standard checks are for roles with higher responsibility, showing both spent and unspent convictions, cautions and warnings.
Enhanced checks are the most comprehensive and are required for roles involving close work with vulnerable groups, such as children or adults in healthcare, education, or social work settings. These checks include additional relevant police information and can also include a check of the Child and/or Adult Barred List to ensure the individual is not barred from working with vulnerable groups.
DBS checks typically take 5–8 days to complete. However, third-party checks may take up to 10–15 working days in certain circumstances.
Employers must verify two eligible documents for candidates. Accepted combinations include:
Passport and driving license
Passport and utility bill (dated within the last three months)
Passport and council tax bill (dated within the last 12 months)
For more details, please visit the government page for Basic or Standard/Enhanced for more information.
The pricing for DBS checks (excluding VAT) is as follows:
Basic DBS check: £34
Standard DBS check: £36
Enhanced DBS check: £64
Optional AssuredID (Digital ID checking platform): £7 per candidate
The pricing for DS checks (excluding VAT) is as follows:
Basic DS check: £37
Standard DS check: £39
Enhanced DS check: £39
Optional AssuredID (Digital ID checking platform): £7 per candidate
The pricing for AccessNI checks (excluding VAT) is as follows:
Basic AccessNI check: £30
Standard AccessNI check: £30
Enhanced AccessNI check: £46
Optional AssuredID (Digital ID checking platform): £7 per candidate
Yes, Reed Screening can perform criminal record checks in over 200 countries, ensuring global coverage for your screening needs, head to our overseas criminal record checks page to learn more.
Yes. Following recent legislative changes, we can now process AccessNI criminal record checks for self‑employed individuals in Northern Ireland (this does not apply in Scotland). Self‑employed professionals in eligible roles can apply directly through us as a registered Umbrella Body, supporting safer recruitment and strong safeguarding.
What you need to know:
Self‑employed individuals can apply directly through us
Checks are available where the role meets legal eligibility criteria
Digital certificates are issued and can be securely shared with clients or commissioners
For businesses screening 50+ candidates, Reed Screening offers bespoke packages tailored to your needs. Contact the team here to design a cost-effective and robust solution for enterprise-scale screening.
Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI are not directly transferable between organisations. However,DBS checks can sometimes be transferred between organisations, but certain conditions must be met. The new job must be in the same sector and require the same level of DBS check as the previous one. Additionally, if the individual is registered with the DBS Update Service, their DBS check can be more easily transferred between employers.
However, it is worth noting that this solely at the discretion of the organisation, as to whether they accept a DBS carried out by another organisation.
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