DBS Check in Healthcare

DBS Checks play a vital role in the Healthcare Industry, protecting both children and Vulnerable Adults in your care, as well as fellow staff members as well.
At Aaron’s Department, we offer fast, affordable, and reliable DBS checks to help get your healthcare staff into work quicker.

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DBS checks play a crucial role in safeguarding, so we make sure they’re affordable!

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DBS Check in Healthcare

DBS checks are a type of criminal background check used in England and Wales – they play a vital role in safeguarding vulnerable individuals, helping employers make safe & informed recruitment decisions for their staff, volunteers, and customers.

Healthcare, by default, involves work with vulnerable adults and often with children too. Therefore, a DBS Check in healthcare is essential, and healthcare workers require an Enhanced DBS check with Barred List checks in order to meet legal safeguarding requirements.

Not only is a DBS check in healthcare for staff legally necessary for the safety of those in their care, but also helps ensure a suitable candidate is hired.

DBS Check in healthcare
DBS Checks in healthcare

Who is Eligible for a DBS Check in Healthcare?

DBS Checks for Care and Residential Care Homes

If your organisation is in the Healthcare Sector, then it’s highly likely you’ll have staff who are working with or around Vulnerable Adults (or children). The DBS defines Vulnerable Adult as follows:

“In general terms, an adult (a person aged 18 or over) is classed as vulnerable when they are receiving one of the following services:

  • Health care;
  • Relevant personal care;
  • Social care work;
  • Assistance in relation to general household matters by reason of age, illness or disability;
  • Relevant assistance in the conduct of their own affairs; or
  • Conveying (due to age, illness or disability in prescribed circumstances)”

The DBS FAQ guide

If you have any staff that work with people who fall under these categories, they’ll need an Enhanced DBS check with Barred List checks performing.

What Level Of DBS Check Do You Need?

Depending on the role the applicant will undertake, this will determine which DBS Check they are legally allowed to apply for.

Enhanced DBS Check With an Adult Barred List

These candidates will likely be engaging in regulated activity with vulnerable adults, so they will more than likely need to undergo an Enhanced DBS Check, with some of your staff needing the Adults Barred List check as well.  This includes roles such as Nurses and Carers providing hands-on healthcare.

Enhanced DBS Check Without Adult Barred List

These are the roles that do not provide hands-on healthcare to vulnerable adults, but rather just engage in regulated activity. This must also be performed more than once a week or three times a month.

Roles which typically require an Enhanced DBS check without the Adult Barred List include:

  • Personal Care
  • Handling Cash
  • Helping with Shopping or Bills
  • Transporting an Individual
  • Social Care.
online dbs check costs

What is an Adult First Check?

The DBS Adult First Check allows employees to start engaging in regulated activities (whilst under supervision) before the full Enhanced DBS Check with Adult Barred List certificate is completed and returned. People waiting for a DBS check in healthcare can then get into work quicker, rather than wait for the enhanced check to be returned.

Who Can Get the Adult First Check?

This service is only available to employers who are eligible to access the DBS’s Adult’s Barred List and who have requested a check of the Barred Lists on the DBS application form.

This service costs a Government flat fee of £6 and a small admin fee (depending on the discount applied, Aaron’s Department charges between £3.11 and £5.45). You can read more about the Adults First Check on our dedicated page.

Read about Adult First Checks

How Much Does a DBS Cost?

For DBS checks in care, the following is how much you will pay:

Enhanced DBS Check with Adult Barred List Check = £38 (Government Fee) + £10.95 (Admin Fee*) 

Enhanced DBS Check with Adult Barred List Check = £38 (Government Fee) + £10.95 (Admin Fee*) 
With the Additional Adult First Check = £6 (Government Fee) + £5.45 (Admin Fee*)

*The admin fee can be reduced to as little as £6.26 for the DBS Check and £3.11 for the Adult First check.

Get a DBS Check in Healthcare Today

If you want to get started with your staff’s DBS checks, you can do so right away! As Aaron’s Department is a Registered DBS Umbrella Body, we will process your Enhanced DBS check requests the same day as receiving them, to ensure the fastest possible turnaround.

Should you need any further help with what check you require for your staff, be it a DBS check in healthcare or another sector, you can email us at contact@aaronsdepartment.com or give one of our team a call on +44 113 877 0171.