Guidance

Common mistakes on the DBS application form

Published 27 March 2013

A collection of the most common mistakes on the DBS application form can be found below.

General: 5-year address not supplied

The form will be rejected if:

• a full 5-year address history is not supplied including from and to dates in the correct format of: mm/yyyy
• there are gaps between address dates provided

Section y73: date of countersignature

The form will be rejected if:

• the date is not completed using the correct format of dd/mm/yyyy
• this field is left blank or is illegible (without attached explanation)

Section x68: is the application form for a free-of-charge volunteer?

This form will be rejected if:

• both fields are completed
• the field is left blank
• the application is submitted for a volunteer and a cross (X) is placed in the ‘yes’ box, but a payment is also received

Section x61

You will need to make sure this section is completed correctly otherwise we may need to contact you to get further information, resulting in recruitment process delays.

Please complete the field as follows:

x61 line 1: you must now include the relevant workforce(s). Choose the appropriate:

• Child workforce
• Adult workforce
• Child and adult workforce
• Other workforce (use this when the person is not working with children or adults)

x61 line 2: enter a description of the ‘position applied for’ up to 30 characters.

Workforce guidance is available for registered bodies to identify the type of workforce that a DBS applicant will be working in.

Section w59: Has the evidence checker established the applicant’s identity and verified the information?

The form will be rejected if:

• the field is left blank or is illegible
• both fields are completed

Section a12: other forename(s)

The form will be rejected if:

• this field is left blank or is illegible when the surname (sections a5) and/or dates from and to (section a7) contain information
• this field contains information and the surname (section a5) and dates from and to (section a7) are blank

To clarify - for each name you provide, you must ensure that the forename and surname fields are both completed.

Section y70: countersignatory number

The form will be rejected if:

• this field is left blank or is illegible (without attached explanation)
• if any digits are missing from the countersignatory number
• the first 6 digits of the countersignatory number do not match up with Registered Body number (section y69)

Section a26: nationality

If question a24 ‘Do you hold a current passport?’ is completed ‘yes’, then a25-27 are mandatory and need to be completed. If not, the form will be rejected.

If a24 is completed ‘no’, then a25-27 should be left blank. If either a25 or a26 are completed, the form will be rejected.

Section e57: date of signature

The form will be rejected if:

• this field is left blank or illegible
• a future date has been provided

Section a7: dates from and to

The form will be rejected if:

• this field contains date information and a5 or a6 is blank
• date format used is invalid
• this field is left blank or illegible when the forename and surname sections (a5/a6) contain information and no explanation has been attached