If you are looking to volunteer and are wondering if you need to disclose spent convictions on your DBS check, the answer is not always straightforward.
DBS checks
are used to assess the suitability of an individual for certain roles, and the level of check required will depend on the type of role. For most volunteer roles, a basic check will be sufficient, and this will not reveal any convictions, reprimands, fixed penalty notices, or charges. However, if you are volunteering with children or vulnerable adults, then an enhanced check may be necessary.The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is responsible for carrying out these checks, and they can be requested when applying for a job or volunteer position. Depending on the level of control required, the completion time for the check can vary from agency to agency. An independent body is also available to review applicants' disputes in relation to local police information disclosed in enhanced DBS certificates. If you were convicted of certain crimes (whatever your age), then this information will never be withdrawn from a standard or enhanced DBS check.
However, if you received a warning for one of these crimes when you were 18 years old or younger, then it may be possible to remove it from your DBS check. The NHS and Care Volunteer Responders is a volunteer service provided by the NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care and offered by the Royal Voluntary Service and GoodSam. This service covers the cost of any necessary DBS checks for volunteers. Any employer or voluntary organization can legally perform basic DBS checks as part of their hiring process.
Certain convictions and warnings are filtered during the verification process to obtain a standard or enhanced DBS certificate. All information must be evaluated on its own merits to be included or excluded from a DBS certificate. An improved check contains the same information as a standard DBS check, plus any additional information that is available about you in local police records. It is important to understand what a DBS check is and what you can do if you're not happy with the information the police have about you.
For example, if two volunteers have served sentences for drug possession, they may decide to share this information on their application form. Ultimately, it is up to the staff to decide whether volunteers who help raise funds will need to undergo a DBS evaluation or not, as they will have limited contact with people who are most at risk of harm and will be supervised.
