Guidance

Eligibility guidance for Enhanced DBS checks

Guides to help you identify the types of work eligible for an Enhanced DBS check in each workforces, including regulated activity.

• From: Disclosure and Barring Service
• Published: 18 April 2016
• Last updated: 1 September 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 1 September 2026

     Updated to link to new guidance as of 1st September supervision exemption changes

  2. 20 January 2026

     Legislative change introduced adding: - Individuals applying for or renewing a pedicab licence in London - Registered healthcare professionals working for or on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions to assess children or vulnerable adults

  3. 5 July 2024

     Updated attachment uploaded including newest policy updates

  4. 19 January 2022

     Updated adult workforce guidance document

  5. 17 September 2018

     Link to DBS Guidance Leaflets added.

  6. 24 August 2018

     Information updated. Content now relates more to eligibility for enhanced DBS checks/certificates including regulated activity.

  7. 14 December 2016

     Error corrected in barred list section on page 5.

  8. 13 December 2016

     All workforce guides have been updated to include information about access to checks of the relevant barred lists. We've also added links to the new eligibility tool.

  9. 5 December 2016

     Add further clarification for roles under the other and adult workforce documents.

  10. 18 April 2016

      First published.

This publication was withdrawn on 13 October 2026

Withdrawn as from 1 September 2026, this guidance was replaced by:

• Eligibility for roles not working specifically with adults or children - GOV.UK

• Eligibility for roles working with Adults - GOV.UK

• Eligibility for Roles working with children - GOV.UK

Documents

Withdrawn

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Details

Please note: from 1 September 2026, this guidance is being replaced by:

• Eligibility for roles not working specifically with adults or children - GOV.UK

• Eligibility for roles working with Adults - GOV.UK

• Eligibility for Roles working with children - GOV.UK

This page will remain available for reference alongside the new guidance for a limited time.

This is not a comprehensive list of all conditions which have to apply for the role to be eligible. The applicant will still need to meet eligibility criteria before the Registered Body considers the workforce.

Employers need to add the workforce in section x line 61 of the DBS application form.

DBS application forms that don’t state the workforce will be rejected.

Regulated activity

Guidance about regulated activity with children has been published by the Department for Education (DfE).

Information about regulated activity with adults is available from the Department of Health (DH).

The guides above will help you identify the type of workforce that an applicant will be working in.

They set out the types of roles in each of the workforces.

Supervision of children

Statutory guidance on supervising activity with children, which is regulated activity when unsupervised.

1. Supervision of activity with children

• 10 September 2012
• Statutory guidance

DBS guidance leaflets

More information regarding eligibility can be found in our DBS guidance leaflets.