A plain English guide explaining how the DBS Update Service works and how employers use it to monitor workforce suitability on an ongoing basis.
The DBS Update Service is an online subscription service for standard and enhanced DBS certificates that allows employers to check whether the information on a certificate has changed since it was issued.
With the worker's consent, employers may conduct a status check online through the Disclosure and Barring Service.
If the certificate status has not changed, a new DBS application is usually not required.
The DBS Update Service involves four key steps. Each step has specific responsibilities for workers and employers.
The worker must register themselves with the DBS Update Service within 30 days of their DBS certificate being issued. Employers cannot register on behalf of the worker.
The worker gives the employer permission to check their DBS certificate status online. This consent should be documented by the employer.
Before carrying out a status check, the employer should make sure that:
The employer can then log into the DBS Update Service portal and check whether the certificate status has changed since it was issued.
The employer documents the date of the status check and the result. If the certificate status has not changed, a new DBS application is usually not required.
Workers must register with the DBS Update Service within 30 days of their DBS certificate being issued. If this window is missed, the worker cannot register that certificate and a new DBS application will normally be required.
Employers can only conduct Update Service status checks with the worker's explicit consent. This consent should be documented and retained as part of workforce monitoring records.
A status check indicates whether the information on the DBS certificate has changed since it was issued. If the status shows no change, the certificate can usually continue to be relied on for the same level and workforce of role.
The Update Service is designed for standard and enhanced DBS certificates.
Providers should maintain records showing when status checks were conducted, that the worker gave consent, and the outcome of each status check. This documentation helps demonstrate ongoing workforce suitability monitoring.
DBS certificates do not have a statutory expiry date.
However, providers should maintain ongoing assurance that staff remain suitable to work in regulated roles.
Many providers use the DBS Update Service as part of their workforce suitability monitoring policy.
Regular status checks demonstrate that providers are actively monitoring workforce suitability rather than relying solely on initial recruitment checks.
Many organisations adopt policies such as:
EntryComply helps maintain structured records showing DBS Update Service subscription status, scheduled status check dates, and documented outcomes.
Where agreed with the provider and supported by documented worker consent, EntryComply can help administer DBS status-check records and log outcomes in the workforce compliance register.
This helps providers maintain a clear, dated record of ongoing workforce suitability monitoring.
Important: EntryComply organises DBS monitoring records and can help administer status-check records where agreed with the provider and supported by documented worker consent. EntryComply does not interpret DBS certificate content, assess the suitability of any individual, or certify regulatory compliance. Providers remain solely responsible for suitability assessments and all regulatory compliance decisions.
We review how your workforce documentation is currently organised, explain the records inspectors commonly request, and show how EntryComply helps structure those records.
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