Could you please clarify exactly how often a staff member should have a repeat DBS check done?

Answered by Sheila Scott

Dear Teresa,

The legal requirement is for a DBS check to be done as a requirement of employment for care staff.

There are some suggestions that good practice would expect the checks to be repeated as often as every three years but the law is clear.

This is a cutting from the Government’s website:

“How long a DBS check is valid

A DBS check has no official expiry date. Any information included will be accurate at the time the check was carried out. It is up to an employer to decide if and when a new check is needed.

Applicants and employers can use the DBS update service to keep a certificate up to date or carry out checks on a potential employee’s certificate.”

There is more information here: https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check/overview

As many care providers are feeling the effects of the Government’s austerity programme, they may wish to reconsider expensive items if they are not a legal requirement.

Best wishes.

Sheila