Quick summary
Yes, an enhanced DBS check with a barred list check, because personal care is regulated activity. A good employer pays for it and does not deduct it from your first wage. Old and minor matters are often filtered out and never appear, and a record does not automatically rule you out.
Which check care work needs
Level | What it shows | Used for |
|---|---|---|
Basic | Unspent convictions only | Retail, hospitality, some admin |
Standard | Spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, subject to filtering | Some finance and legal roles |
Enhanced | All of the above plus relevant police information | Regulated roles |
Enhanced with barred list | All of the above plus whether you are barred from working with adults or children | Care work |
Providing personal care, washing, dressing, help with the toilet or supporting someone with medication, counts as regulated activity, so the enhanced check with the adults’ barred list is the right level.
Who pays
The employer requests it, and a good one pays for it.
The government fee for an enhanced check has been £49.50, and DBS announced in September 2026 that fees would fall from 5 October 2026, with the enhanced check reducing to around £41 and the standard check to around £20. Umbrella body or administration fees can sit on top of the government fee.
We pay for it, and we do not deduct it from wages. If an employer tells you it will come out of your first pay packet, that is worth questioning before you accept the job.
What actually shows up
This is the part that stops people applying, usually unnecessarily.
An enhanced check can show spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings, plus any relevant local police information. It is not simply a list of everything that ever happened.
Filtering rules remove many older and minor matters. The system distinguishes between specified offences, which are violent, sexual or safeguarding-related and are always disclosed, and protectable offences, which are filtered based on how long ago they were, how old you were, and whether there are other convictions. In broad terms, many single, older, minor and non-violent matters no longer appear.
The rules are detailed, and if you are unsure what will show, Unlock, the charity for people with convictions, publishes clear guidance and runs a helpline.
If something does show
It does not automatically end the application.
- Being on the adults’ barred list does rule you out. That is a legal bar, not a judgement call.
- Everything else is considered individually: what it was, how long ago, how old you were, the circumstances, and what has happened since.
- Tell us at application stage. A disclosure you raised yourself is a conversation. The same information appearing on a certificate you did not mention is a problem about honesty as much as about the record.
- You get your own copy of the certificate and can challenge anything inaccurate before decisions are made.
How long it takes
Usually a couple of weeks, sometimes longer if police forces need to add information or if there is a complication with identity documents. It is frequently the step that decides your start date.
Two things speed it up. Have your identity documents ready, typically a passport or driving licence plus proof of address, and give addresses for the last five years accurately, since gaps and errors are the most common cause of delay.
The Update Service, which is worth £16
The DBS Update Service costs around £16 a year and lets you keep your certificate current and reuse it across jobs, so a new employer can check its status online rather than waiting weeks for a fresh check.
You have to register within a short window after your certificate is issued, so if you think you may move jobs or pick up work elsewhere, do it straight away. It is the cheapest thing in this article and the one most people miss.
Related changes worth knowing
Since 21 January 2026, self-employed people working in regulated activity, including self-employed carers, have been able to apply for their own enhanced check through a registered umbrella body. Before that, individuals could not apply for enhanced checks themselves at all.
That matters if you are thinking of working independently, and it is also relevant to families employing a personal assistant directly, as our guidance on arranging care touches on.
What else is checked
- Right to work in the UK.
- References, from previous employers or, if you have been out of work, someone who knows you well.
- Identity documents.
- Gaps in employment, which are asked about rather than held against you.
Frequently asked questions
Do carers need a DBS check?
Yes. Personal care is regulated activity, so an enhanced check with the adults’ barred list is required.
Who pays for it?
The employer requests it and should pay. We do, and we do not deduct it from wages.
Can I apply for my own enhanced DBS?
Only if you are self-employed in regulated activity, which has been possible since January 2026 through a registered umbrella body. Otherwise an employer must request it.
Will an old caution stop me working in care?
Not necessarily. Many older, minor matters are filtered and never appear. Anything that does appear is considered individually, with the exception of being on the barred list.
How long does it take?
Usually a couple of weeks. Accurate five-year address history and ready identity documents are the main things that prevent delays.
Does a DBS check expire?
There is no formal expiry date. Most employers re-check periodically, commonly every three years, and the Update Service keeps a certificate usable in the meantime.
What we pay
- £15.70 an hour after a three month probation, £14.70 during it.
- 35p a mile, and travel time between visits is paid.
- No visit shorter than an hour.
- DBS check paid for by us, along with induction and Care Certificate training.
How to apply
Call us on 01625 720157 and ask about caregiver roles. If there is something on your record you are unsure about, raise it on that first call. It is a conversation, not an automatic no.
Visiting Angels Cheshire East covers Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Knutsford, Congleton, Alsager, Buxton, Whaley Bridge, Leek, Biddulph and Kidsgrove.
Authored by Kim Blissett, Registered Manager, Visiting Angels Cheshire East.
Published 27 September 2026. Last updated 27 September 2026.
This article is general information about DBS checks and is not legal advice, nor a contractual offer of employment. DBS fees, filtering rules and processes change; check GOV.UK for the current position. For advice about criminal records and employment, contact Unlock or Citizens Advice. To the fullest extent permitted by law, GB Care at Home Ltd accepts no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this article.
