DBS Checks for School & Hospital Contractors
Looking to do DBS Checks for Employees or Volunteers?
DBS Checks for visiting Contractors
If you supply services to sites such as Schools, Care Homes or Hospitals. You might be asked to obtain DBS Checks for your staff. Here you can find out everything you need to know about meeting the DBS Check obligations.
DBS Checks for School, Care Home and Hospital Contractors in 48 Hours
Your business can register quickly with our platform for free and start benefiting from our superior DBS Check services
DBS Checks for visiting Contractors
What Level of DBS Check will I need?
Contractors working where Children are present
The Children's Barred List Explained
If you are sending staff to a location where children are present, you will almost always need to arrange an Enhanced DBS check. Depending on how frequently they are on site and the times of day they work, you may also need to include a check of the Children’s Barred List.
A Children’s Barred List check is required if:
your staff are likely to be on site for more than three days within any thirty-day period, or
they are on site between 2am and 6am while children are also present.
The Children’s Barred List is an official UK register of individuals who are legally banned from working with children. It is a key safeguarding tool that prevents unsuitable individuals from taking up roles that involve direct contact with children, such as positions in schools, nurseries and childcare settings. Anyone on this list is prohibited from engaging in regulated activities with children.
People are added to the Children’s Barred List after careful investigation shows they pose a risk to children, often because of previous harmful behaviour or misconduct. The Disclosure and Barring Service manages the list and reviews evidence thoroughly before making a decision, ensuring that only those who present a genuine risk are barred from working in education and early years environments, where safeguarding is critical.
When recruiting for roles in education or early years settings, employers must carry out an Enhanced DBS check with a Children’s Barred List check. This enhanced process provides detailed criminal record information alongside confirmation that the individual is not barred from regulated activity with children. It helps organisations ensure that candidates are suitable and reinforces safe learning and care environments.
Including a Children’s Barred List check as part of an Enhanced DBS check adds an essential layer of protection for children in education and childcare. It ensures compliance with the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act and provides reassurance to parents, carers and organisations that only appropriate individuals are entrusted with children’s care.
Contractors working in Care Homes
Contractors working in Hospitals and Other Healthcare facilities
What if I have staff that will go to both Schools and Hospitals?
How to get for DBS Checks for Contractors
EasyDBS is an advanced AI-powered web platform designed to simplify the DBS check process for contractors working on school and hospital sites. The platform automates each stage and provides smart guidance from registration through to the delivery of results.
Getting Started
Once your organisation registers, you will receive secure login details. You can then add internal users, such as HR or compliance managers, and assign them the appropriate permissions to manage DBS checks for your contractors.
Starting a DBS Check for Contractors
To begin a DBS check for a staff member, simply enter their name and email address into the system. The staff member will then receive an email invitation to access their application form.
After clicking the link and setting up their password, the applicant is guided through the form with AI-assisted validation to help avoid common errors, such as incorrect National Insurance numbers or incomplete address histories.
ID Verification and Submission
When the applicant has completed their section, you will be notified to carry out the ID verification. You confirm the ID documents provided, and the platform’s intelligent checks ensure that all legal requirements are met, alerting you if anything is missing or incorrect.
You will then be asked to specify:
The required level of DBS check (Basic, Standard or Enhanced)
The applicant’s job role
Whether a Barred List check is needed
Whether the role is voluntary
The AI further reduces errors by checking the eligibility of the information you provide.
Payment Options
Once all details are confirmed, payment can be made using one of the following options:
Pay as you go
Prepaid credit bundles
Delegated billing, where the applicant receives and pays the invoice directly. This is particularly useful for organisations where applicants cover their own DBS fees.
Submission and Results
After payment or credit allocation, the DBS application is securely submitted to the Disclosure and Barring Service. Both your organisation and the applicant will receive notifications, including a unique reference number and a link to track the status of the application in real time.
When the process is complete:
The applicant receives the official paper DBS certificate by post
Your organisation receives an electronic summary of the results through the platform
Throughout the process, the platform’s AI keeps all parties updated, ensuring transparency and peace of mind at every step.
Need to ask a question before registering…?
If you are already a customer, please login and use the regular support channels on the platform
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most popular questions we get about DBS Checks for School, Care Home & Hospital Contractors
How much does a DBS Check cost?
When applying for a DBS check through an Umbrella Body, the total cost is usually made up of two parts.
The first part is the fixed fee charged by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This fee applies per application, whether you process just one check a year or thousands. The current DBS fees are:
Basic DBS check: £21.50
Standard DBS check: £21.50
Enhanced DBS check: £49.50
Enhanced DBS check with Adults’ and/or Children’s Barred List check: £49.50
The second part is the administration fee charged by the Umbrella Body for handling and submitting the application. This fee can vary depending on the number of checks you process. For example, EasyDBS’s admin fees start from £4.00 per application.
Can I fast-track or pay for a faster DBS Check?
No, there are no fast-track options available. The Disclosure and Barring Service processes all applications using the same standard procedure without prioritisation.
Once an application has been submitted to the DBS, neither EasyDBS nor any other Umbrella Body can influence the speed at which it is completed.
Our role is to make the process as efficient as possible by offering an intuitive, user-friendly platform that reduces applicant errors and ensures the application runs smoothly from start to finish.
What is fastest way to get a DBS Check?
For Standard DBS Check, or Enhanced DBS Check: use a DBS Umbrella Company like EasyDBS, which provides a modern platform and online e-bulk DBS Checks
Register for Free Organisation Account Here
For Basic DBS: apply directly to Disclosure and Barring Service
Can anyone get a DBS Check?
Anyone can apply for a Basic DBS check, but Standard and Enhanced DBS checks are only available for roles that meet certain eligibility requirements.
Eligibility for Standard and Enhanced checks is set out in law, mainly through the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 and the Police Act 1997. Not all positions qualify for these higher-level checks. Employers should use the official GOV.UK eligibility tool to confirm which level of DBS check is appropriate, as requesting a higher level than permitted can be unlawful.
The GOV.UK website provides an eligibility checking tool as well as detailed guidance to help employers understand the rules.
They provide an eligibility tool.
The DBS also provide detailed eligibility guidance here.
What is a DBS Umbrella body?
A DBS Umbrella Body (or umbrella company) is an organisation that is officially registered to use the DBS service and process checks on behalf of other employers or organisations.
EasyDBS is a well-established DBS Umbrella Body.
Umbrella bodies serve as intermediaries between employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. This arrangement is ideal for most businesses and charities that do not register directly with the DBS, as direct registration is usually only practical for organisations processing thousands of checks each year.
Instead, these organisations rely on an umbrella provider to take care of key administrative tasks such as supplying the application platform, counter-signing applications, submitting them to the DBS and providing ongoing support and guidance throughout the process.
How long does a DBS Check take?
Most DBS checks are completed within 48 hours, although processing times can vary depending on the type of check. Basic DBS checks are usually very quick and are often returned within a few hours. Standard DBS checks are typically completed within 24 to 48 hours and rarely take longer than five working days.
Enhanced DBS checks involve local police forces, which means they generally take longer than Basic or Standard checks. Some are returned the same day, but most are completed within around ten working days.
Which identification documents are needed for an DBS Check Application
DBS checks require applicants to present identification documents to a nominated ID checker within the client organisation. The applicant must provide a specific combination of current and valid documents, as defined by the Disclosure and Barring Service. The exact combination depends on which documents the applicant has available.
You can view the most up-to-date identification requirements and the list of acceptable documents here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-identity-checking-guidelines
How long is a DBS check valid?
A DBS check does not have an official expiry date. It shows a snapshot of an individual’s record as it stood on the date the certificate was issued.
The information disclosed is accurate only up to that point. Unlike a passport, a DBS certificate does not expire, but any convictions or cautions that occur after the issue date will not appear on it. Employers should always review the issue date of a DBS certificate and decide if a new check is needed based on how much time has passed.
In many industries, it is considered best practice to renew DBS checks regularly, and in some cases it is required by regulatory bodies. A typical renewal period is every three years, though some organisations require checks every year or every two years for roles with greater safeguarding responsibilities.
How do I track a DBS Check application?
All tracking information for a DBS application is easily available to both employers and applicants through our platform.
You can follow the progress of the application at every stage. Once it has been passed to the Disclosure and Barring Service, a dedicated button allows you to access the official DBS tracking system for real-time updates.