Willing to be shot down here but OMG.
I get a DBS certificate as a volunteer and subscribe to the update service.
In the 10 or so years following, I get about three more DBS certificates in a professional capacity - the first was necessary due to the switch to professional work and the others were when organisations just automatically applied for a new DBS rather than using the update service.
I added all these certificates to the update service account I have. Today, I get an email saying that as I have volunteer and professional DBS in one update service account, I am not paying a big enough subscription, because it was set up using a volunteer DBS.
Solution - stay with me - get a new professional DBS issued and register for a new professional update service account. I can't upgrade my existing account. I can't use an existing professional certificate as you have to apply them to the update service within 30 days of issue.
I spoke to a really helpful CS guy and he mentioned you also need different update service accounts for different types of professional DBS eg. working with children vs. elderly or vulnerable adults.
Back in the day, I genuinely thought 'Oh great - I'll get the update service and then I won't have to worry about anything' - but it's been such a headache.
Why can't the government list the different types of DBS certificates and the checks they provide, then individuals apply for the one they need that's uploaded to a single bloody place, with a single subscription fee, that employers or whatever can go to see if you're covered? Then there would be no need for the same checks done for different institutions and multiple update service accounts that you have to keep track of.
I'm not lacking intelligence or common sense but I don't recall ever seeing this shit laid out in clear terms on the DBS webpage. Like a table that shows what different certificates enable you to do and the different kinds of update service accounts they have to be loaded up on.
Thank you for hearing me out 🤣