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
PublishedPublished:
18 April 2016
Last updatedupdated:
201 JanuarySeptember 2026 — See all updates

Documents

Adult workforce guide

PDF, 249 KB, 14 pages

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Other workforce guide

PDF, 239 KB, 7 pages

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Child workforce guide

PDF, 297 KB, 17 pages

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Details

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

Other workforce guide:

Adult workforce guide:

Child workforce guide:

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.

Updates to this page

Published 18 April 2016
Last updated 201 JanuarySeptember 2026 href="#full-history">+— show Show all updates

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

  3. Updated attachment uploaded including newest policy updates

  4. Updated adult workforce guidance document

  5. Link to DBS Guidance Leaflets added.

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

  7. Error corrected in barred list section on page 5.

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

  10. First published.

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