Disclosure & Barring Service Logo

What is a DBS Adult First check?

It is for employers in the care sector to quickly check whether individuals applying to carry out work that is defined as regulated activity with adults are included in the DBS Adults' Barred List.

It is available for those services where there are statutory obligations to maintain minimum staffing levels and allows employers to decide whether a person who is not barred can start work prior to DBS information being available.

Its use is intended for exceptional circumstances only in order to maintain minimum statutory staffing levels and applies to care homes, domiciliary care agencies and adult placement schemes.

The service provides employers and volunteer organisations with the ability to receive the results of a check against the DBS Adults' Barred List within 48 hours.
The result will be provided by email, and it will contain one of the following results:

OPTION 1: Registered Body must wait for the full certificate.
OPTION 2: No match exists for this person in the current DBS Adults' Barred List.

If you are still unclear about whether you are entitled to use the DBS Adult First service, you can contact the Department of Health for advice. Contact details can be found in the 'Contact DHSC' section their GOV.UK homepage