
DBS Transgender applicants may encounter a challenging experience when undergoing a DBS check. It’s completely understandable if you have reservations about revealing former names or genders to your employer due to concerns about potential workplace harassment. Regrettably, if proper measures to uphold confidentiality are not adhered to, there’s a risk of being referred to by one’s previous name, a practice known as dead-naming.

DBS Transgender applications:
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) offers a confidential checking service for transgender applicants in accordance with the Gender Recognition Act 2004. This is known as ‘the sensitive applications route’, and is available for all levels of DBS check – Basic, Standard and Enhanced.
It’s crucial for DBS transgender applicants to be well-informed about the aspects of their previous or current identity that they must divulge to a prospective employer. The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) offers a confidential procedure specifically designed for DBS transgender applicants, aiming to safeguard their identity. This blog will delve into the process of obtaining a DBS check for transgender applicants. It will also outline the precise legal requirements for information disclosure in a DBS check, while providing guidance on effectively maintaining the confidentiality of past identities to prevent incidents of dead-naming and workplace harassment.
This process is for DBS transgender applicants who do not wish to reveal details of their previous identity to the person who asked them to complete an application form for a DBS certificate.
You can read more about DBS check application forms here.
The Disclosure and Barring Service Sensitive Applications Team
If you are Transgender and are needing a DBS Check but have a previous identity that you do not wish to be disclosed to your employer or on your DBS certificate, you should get in contact with the Disclosure and Barring Service’s dedicated sensitive applications team before you submit an application.
Their team deals with sensitive cases regularly and will advise you on what you need to do.
Contacting the Sensitive Applications Team for DBS Transgender Applications
You can contact the sensitive applications team by calling on 0300 106 1452 or emailing sensitive@dbs.gov.uk. Please note, that the telephone number also has an out-of-hours answering machine where you can leave your details, and a member of the team will call you back.
An applicant using the confidential checking service will still complete the same DBS application form as any other applicant when it comes to actually submitting it.
Using a Standard DBS Route
If you are happy to have your previous identity disclosed on your certificate, you do not need to contact the sensitive applications team.
Should this be the case, then you can simply input this information in the ‘any other names’ part of your application form.
Conclusion: DBS Transgender Applications
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) offers a confidential checking service for transgender applicants in accordance with the Gender Recognition Act 2004. This is known as ‘the sensitive applications route’, and is available for all levels of DBS check – Basic, Standard and Enhanced.

Apply For Your DBS Check Today
If you want to begin the DBS process, you are in the right place! With Aaron’s Department, you can apply for a Basic, Standard, or Enhanced DBS Check from as little as £3.11.
Take advantage of our fast and affordable, error-proof, online system for your DBS checks by registering your company.
Our team of experts is here to help you during the week from 9 am until 5 pm (including Bank Holidays). For any clarifications, you can call us on 0113 877 0171, or email contact@aaronsdepartment.com.