Guidance

Eligibility for Enhanced with Adults' Barred List DBS check

Published 1 September 2026

Disclaimer: This is not legal advice. If you need help with making sure you are complying with the law, you should speak to a legal advisor. 

1. Introduction

This guidance is designed to help you determine whether a role is eligible for an Enhanced DBS check with a Barred List check. It outlines the specific activities, job roles, and that may mean a role is in regulated activity. This guidance applies whether roles are paid or unpaid.

After reviewing the guidance, if the role is not eligible for an Enhanced DBS check with Barred List check, you should then consider whether it is eligible for an Enhanced DBS check without access to the Barred List. 

This guidance will support you with this assessment.

2. Regulated Activity with adults – Specified Activities

You only need to carry out any of the below activities once to be in regulated activity with adults and therefore eligible for an Enhanced with Adult’s Barred List DBS check in the adult workforce.

2.1 Healthcare 

Individuals who provide health care to adults, either as a regulated health care professional or under the direction or supervision of a regulated health care professional are eligible for an Enhanced with Adult’s Barred List DBS check.  

This includes providing psychotherapy and counselling and also covers first aiders where they provide this through an organisation set up specifically for the purposes of providing first aid, e.g. St John’s Ambulance and community first responders. 

For role examples please see the  Eligibility for healthcare roles - GOV.UK guidance.

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 2.1 of the legislation attachment.

2.2 Personal Care

Individuals who provide personal care to adults are eligible for an Enhanced with Adult’s Barred List DBS check. In this context personal care means: 

• physically assisting an adult with eating, drinking, toileting, washing or bathing, dressing, carrying out oral care or the care of skin, hair or nails when that adult cannot do this themselves because of their age, illness or disability
• prompting and then supervising an adult to eat, drink, go to the toilet, wash or bathe, get dressed and undressed, carry out oral care or the care of skin, hair or nails when that adult cannot decide to do this for themselves because of their age, illness or disability
• training, instructing, providing advice or providing guidance to an adult on how to eat, drink, go to the toilet, wash or bathe, get dressed and undressed, carry out oral care or the care of skin, hair or nails when that adult cannot do this because of their age, illness or disability

For role examples please see the DBS checks for adult social care roles - GOV.UK guidance.

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 2.2 of the legislation attachment.

2.3 Providing social work to an adult who is a client or potential client 

Individuals who are regulated social workers providing social work to adults who are clients or potential clients are eligible for an Enhanced with Adult’s Barred list DBS check.

This includes assessing or reviewing the need for health or social care services, and providing ongoing support to clients.

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 2.3 of the legislation attachment.

2.4 Assisting an adult with the financial day-to-day running of their household

Individuals who assist adults with the day-to-day financial running of their households are eligible for an Enhanced with Adult’s Barred list DBS check only if this work includes at least one of the following activities and they are doing so because the adult’s age, illness or disability means they need support:

• managing the adult’s cash
• paying the adult’s bills
• doing the adult’s shopping

Scenario 1

Kelly is a support worker for a local charity that assists individuals living with disabilities. She manages a caseload of clients whom she visits regularly. Due to their health conditions, many of Kelly’s clients are unable to leave their homes, and so her role also includes being given cash by the adults to carry out food shopping on their behalf. Because of this responsibility, Kelly is eligible for an Enhanced with Adult’s Barred List DBS check.

More examples can be found in the Working with adults in the charity sector and overseas aid organisations - GOV.UK guidance.

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 2.4 of the legislation attachment.

2.5 Assistance with the conduct of an adult’s affairs

Individuals who are appointed to provide assistance in the conduct of an adult’s own affairs are eligible for an Enhanced with Adult’s Barred list DBS check where the below is relevant:

• a lasting power of attorney is created, or an enduring power of attorney is registered or applied for
• the Court of Protection has made an order in relation to the making of decisions on the adult’s behalf
• an independent mental health or capacity advocate is appointed
• Independent advocacy services are provided
• A representative is appointed to receive benefits payments on the adult’s behalf

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 2.5 of the legislation attachment.

2.6 Conveying adults

Individuals who convey adults to or from anywhere they would be receiving health care, personal care or social work are eligible for an Enhanced with Adult’s Barred List DBS check if this work is undertaken because the adults cannot convey themselves due to age, illness or disability.

This includes drivers and assistants (but not taxi drivers and private hire drivers), hospital porters, patient transport service drivers and assistants, ambulance technicians and emergency care assistants.

Scenario 2

Michelle volunteers with her local NHS trust as a patient transport driver, using her own car to drive patients to hospital appointments. The individuals she supports are unable to travel independently due to their age, illness, or disability, and rely on her assistance to access essential healthcare.

Because Michelle conveys adults who would otherwise be unable to attend medical appointments due to age, illness or disability, she is eligible for an Enhanced DBS with Adult’s Barred List DBS check.

For more role examples please see the Eligibility for healthcare roles - GOV.UK guidance.

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 2.6 of the legislation attachment.

2.7 Day-to-day management of someone in regulated activity with adults

Individuals who undertake the regular day-to-day management or supervision of individuals carrying out regulated activity with adults are eligible for an Enhanced with Adult’s Barred List DBS check. 

Scenario 3  

Tasha works for an organisation that provides personal care to adults in their own homes. Tasha visits adults at home to provide this support. Mandy works for the same organisation and is Tasha’s Line manager. Mandy does not provide the personal care herself but is eligible for an Enhanced with Adult’s Barred list DBS check as she undertakes the day-to-day management of Tasha. 

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 2.7 of the legislation attachment.

3. Regulated Activity with Adults - Specified positions in Wales only

Individuals who are employed in the Welsh positions listed below are eligible for an Enhanced with Adult’s Barred List DBS check.

Inspection functions where the inspection relates to social services, care, treatment or therapy for adults and provides the opportunity for contact with those adults, for the following: 

• Welsh agencies required to be registered under section 11 of the Care Standards Act 2000
• Persons in Wales required to be registered under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000
• Welsh NHS bodies
• Anyone, other than a local authority, providing Welsh local authority social services
• The Commissioner for older people in Wales or the deputy Commissioner for older people in Wales

Should you wish to view the relevant legislation you can do so in section 3.1 of the legislation attachment.

4. Links and contacts

Information about regulated activity with adults is available from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-disclosure-and-barring-services 

See this webpage for more information on how to contact DBS -  Disclosure and Barring Service - GOV.UK