Get a DBS check if you live or work in a childcare setting
This explains how to get a Disclosure and Barring Service check if you are aged 16 or over and you live or work in a childcare setting.
Applies to England
Who needs to have a background check
You need to get a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, called an enhanced criminal record check with barred lists, if you are aged 16 or over and you:
- live or work in a domestic premises (someone’s home) where childcare is provided: this may be registered as either a childminder with domestic premises or as childcare on domestic premises
- look after children while working with a childminder without domestic premises
People who live or work in the home include partners, family members, assistants, cleaners and anyone else at the property.
What type of background check you need
The DBS carries out checks to make sure that anyone who comes into regular contact with children is suitable to do so.
You need to get a specific type of check from the DBS. This is called an enhanced criminal record check with barred lists.
You can read our full guidance on DBS checks for childcare providers who register with Ofsted.
If you are applying because you live or work in a home where childcare is provided, or you are helping to provide childcare in a home (including your own), you need to make sure the DBS check is for a ‘home-based position’. This applies whether the childcare is registered as either:
- a childminder with domestic premises
- childcare on domestic premises
How to apply for a DBS check
You can apply for a check on the Ofsted DBS application website.
For information about how long it takes, see the FAQs section on that site.
What happens next
You should give the 12-digit number on your DBS certificate to the childminder, childminder without domestic premises or provider of childcare on domestic premises you are going to be working with.
If they have not yet registered with Ofsted, they will need to provide the number to Ofsted when they apply to register. If they have already registered, they will need to provide the number to Ofsted and tell us that you are living or working on the premises where the childcare takes place.
Other background checks
Ofsted will check with the social services at your local council to see whether it holds any information that may affect your application. We may also carry out checks with other government agencies.
Updates to this page
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Amended to include guidance on the new childcare provider type “childminder without domestic premises”. We also clarified the type of DBS checks needed and included links to Ofsted’s DBS guidance. We updated the page title to better reflect these changes.
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First published.