The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is the organisation that:
Processes criminal record checks
Issues DBS certificates
When you request a DBS check, the DBS:
Searches official records for information about the applicant’s criminal history
Produces a certificate summarising what it found
Employers use DBS checks to:
Make safer recruitment decisions
Confirm whether an applicant has relevant convictions or other recordable matters
There are three main levels of DBS check:
Basic
Standard
Enhanced
Each level reveals different information and is only available when the role is legally eligible for that level.