If you operate in Thanet, then we can help you confidently navigate DBS checks.

If you run a charity, small organisation, or community group in Thanet then we are offering free, friendly, and accessible advice through the DBS process.  Whether you are having difficulty understanding the application process, uncertainty about which identification documents are required, or simply not knowing whether a DBS is needed, we can help.

What we can offer your organisation:

  • Review of your current recruitment process including your DBS requirements for each role in your organisation.
  • Search and register with an appropriate DBS umbrella service to complete any future checks.
  • Update and deliver training to your co-ordinators/managers/trustees so they can recruit safely and confidently.
    • This could include updating or creating a ‘Safer Recruitment Policy’, ‘DBS Certificate Handling Policy’, ‘Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Policy’, and volunteer role profiles.
  • Create easy to read guides for any future applicants to navigate your recruitment and DBS process.

What we can offer your volunteers, employees, and other applicants:

  • One-to-one support to complete their DBS check.
    • For those who may struggle with forms or computers, we can guide your applicants through the process, whether that be on paper or online.
  • Guidance on gathering the right ID, and verifying their ID as part of the DBS process.
  • Advice on the DBS process and a real person to speak to if they have any questions or concerns.

For more information and to ask as for DBS support, please contact Rebecca Bullivant on 07816 406 359 or email at rebecca.bullivant@kcv.org.uk

This is strictly an advice and support service. We can help you find an umbrella body to complete the applications, and advise you along the way.

If you are based in the Dover or Folkestone areas you can:

Contact us if you have any questions about DBS checks in general, or would like best practice training on DBS checking, safer recruitment, rehabilitation of ex-offenders, or similar topics. DBS Checks can be difficult to navigate so please do not hesitate to contact us at info@kcv.org.uk or on 07816 406 359 for assistance.

This is strictly an advice and support service. We can help you find an umbrella body to complete the applications, and advise you along the way.

Finding an Umbrella body to do your DBS Checks:

To find a registered umbrella body to complete the check itself, please see the full directory here: https://dbs-ub-directory.homeoffice.gov.uk/index.php

We can also recommend that Ashford Volunteer Centre has an online service, or Swale CVS has an in-person service in Swale, if you are local.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a DBS Check?

  • A DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) Check provides information about an employee or volunteer’s criminal history.
  • DBS Checks are designed to assist employers and Volunteer Involving Organisations in making safer recruitment decisions, as part of a wider safeguarding and recruitment process.

Who can access DBS Checks?

  • There are four levels of DBS Check – Basic, Standard, Enhanced, and Enhanced with Barred List – which all have different eligibility requirements and reveal different information about an applicant.
  • Basic DBS Checks can be used for any position or purpose and may be requested online by individuals.
  • Access to Standard and Enhanced Checks are strictly controlled by the law and must be requested by organisations for whom individuals will be working or volunteering.
  • Kent Coast Volunteering processes Standard and Enhanced Checks in its role as an Umbrella Body.

Is my organisation eligible to access Standard and/or Enhanced DBS Checks?

  • The level of DBS Check an applicant is eligible for depends on the role the person is or will be carrying out. It is illegal to obtain a higher level of check than a role is eligible for.
  • As a first step, we recommend using the DBS’s simple eligibility tool to find out which roles or activities could be eligible for a higher check.
  • The eligibility tool does not cover every role so below are links to supporting guidance produced by DBS:
    • Charity Sector Organisations
      • If you are a charity sector organisation working with adults, please click here and refer to Annexes A and B.
      • If you are a charity sector organisation working with children, please click here and refer to Annexe A.
      • It is rare that Standard DBS Checks will apply to charity sector organisations.
    • Public and Private Sector Organisations
      • If you are a public or private sector organisation, please refer to the guidance here.

How long does an application take to be processed by the DBS?

  • Each application is different and the completion time can vary with some checks taking longer, especially if they are at an enhanced level and are referred to the police for checks against non-conviction data.
  • The DBS’s target is to process 80% of Enhanced DBS applications within 14 days, and for Standard DBS applications, the target is to process them within 5 days.
  • We can not speed up the process until 60 days has passed from the date that DBS received the forms.

Can I track the progress of an application?

  • Yes, you can track the progress of an application here. To do so, you will need the application form reference number and the applicant’s date of birth.

How long is a DBS Check valid for?

  • There is no official expiry date for a DBS Certificate.
  • Any information revealed on a DBS certificate will be accurate at the time the certificate was issued. You should check the ‘date of issue’ on a certificate to decide whether to request a newer one. In certain employment sectors, a new DBS Check may be required periodically.
  • In most circumstances, it is up to your organisation how often you renew the checks, however, if the applicant registers on the Update Service then it will save you time and money when it comes time.

Update Service – how does it work?

  • An individual can register their DBS certificate on the Update Service at anytime while the DBS is being processed, or within 14 days of receiving the certificate.
  • It is FREE for a volunteer to register on the Update Service, and they will receive an annual email to check if they still want to remain registered (unless an organisation has checked on them within the year).
  • It costs £16 annually for an employee to register on the Update Service.
  • The Update Service does not tell you what is on the certificate – only whether anything has changed since the original certificate was printed. Therefore, you must still see the original certificate before looking on the Update Service, in order to make a safe recruitment decision based on this information.