DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care Staff: Complete 2026 Guide

Disclosure and Barring Service checks are a fundamental part of safer recruitment in domiciliary care. Every person who works in a regulated activity with vulnerable adults must have an enhanced DBS check with a barred list check before they begin work. There are no exceptions to this. An agency that allows a care worker to start delivering care without a completed DBS check is in breach of its CQC registration conditions and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

This guide covers everything you need to know about DBS checks for domiciliary care in 2026, including which level of check is required, the application process, the update service, and the most common mistakes agencies make.

Which Level of DBS Check Is Required

There are four levels of DBS check: basic, standard, enhanced, and enhanced with barred list check. For domiciliary care workers who provide personal care to adults, the required level is enhanced with barred list check. This is the highest level of check available.

An enhanced DBS check reveals spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, and warnings held on the Police National Computer, plus any relevant information held by local police forces that the chief officer of police considers relevant and ought to be disclosed. The barred list check additionally checks whether the person is on the adults' barred list, which would prevent them from working in regulated activity with adults.

The registered manager must also have an enhanced DBS check with barred list check. The nominated individual should have the same level of check, although this depends on whether they have regular contact with service users.

The Application Process

DBS checks are not applied for directly by the employer. You must use a registered body or umbrella body to submit the application on behalf of the applicant. The process involves the applicant completing the application form with their personal details, identity history, and address history for the past five years. You, as the employer, verify the applicant's identity documents and countersign the application.

The DBS processes the application and sends the certificate directly to the applicant, not to the employer. The applicant is then expected to share the certificate with you. You must see the original certificate before the person starts work. Copies, screenshots, or verbal confirmations are not acceptable.

Processing times vary. Most straightforward applications are completed within a few weeks. Applications that require additional information from police forces can take longer, sometimes several weeks. You should factor this into your recruitment timeline.

The DBS Update Service

The DBS Update Service allows individuals to subscribe to an online service that keeps their DBS certificate current. When a worker is registered with the update service, you can carry out a free, instant online status check to confirm whether any new information has come to light since the certificate was issued.

If the status check shows no changes, you can accept the existing certificate without applying for a new one. This saves time and money, particularly for workers who move between employers. The subscription costs a small annual fee, which is paid by the worker (although many employers choose to reimburse it).

As an employer, you should encourage all new staff to subscribe to the update service. It makes future DBS checks faster, cheaper, and easier for everyone.

Portability

DBS certificates are technically issued to the individual, not the employer. In principle, a certificate from a previous employer could be accepted by a new employer. However, in practice, most domiciliary care agencies apply for a new check for every new employee. This is because you cannot verify that the previous certificate has not been altered, the previous check may have been for a different workforce (children rather than adults), and the certificate may be old enough that new information could have arisen since it was issued.

The exception is when the worker is registered with the DBS Update Service and you can verify their status online. In that case, accepting a portable certificate with a current status check is both acceptable and efficient.

Common Mistakes

The most common DBS-related mistakes in domiciliary care recruitment are:

• Allowing staff to start before the DBS is complete: this is a serious breach. There is no "supervised" exception for regulated activity. The DBS must be completed before the person delivers care.
• Accepting the wrong level of check: a basic or standard DBS check is not sufficient for domiciliary care workers. It must be enhanced with barred list.
• Not checking the original certificate: you must see the original, not a copy. Ask the applicant to bring the certificate to a meeting so you can verify it.
• Not recording the DBS information correctly: your recruitment file must record the DBS certificate number, the date of issue, and the date you saw the original. Under the DBS code of practice, you should not retain a copy of the certificate itself.
• Not repeating checks: DBS checks are a snapshot in time. Consider carrying out periodic rechecks, particularly for staff who are not on the update service. There is no legal requirement to recheck at specific intervals, but CQC views periodic rechecking as good practice.

For the broader context of what CQC expects in your recruitment process, see our guide on CQC registration documents. For registered manager responsibilities around staff records, see our registered manager documents guide.