DBS check

[familyissues12345]

Hi,

im currently undergoing training for a volunteer role.
I already have a DBS for my employment, on the update service, which covers adults and children.

Does anyone know if I can use my DBS for my voluntary role? Or will I have to get another?

Thanks!

You usually need one specific to the role you'll be carrying out, to satisfy the safer recruitment criteria. Your employment version will name your employer, not that organisation you want to volunteer for, and could be a number of years old.

It is up to the voluntary organisation. Some will accept a DBS check obtained for another organisation, but most won't.

My understanding is that the Update service made your DBS shareable. I used to have about 4 different certificates for different organisations before the update service.
The reality is that each organisation usually still wants their own one done!

If you are well on the update service, then they can use your previous DBS. They run a check against your code, which verifies any new records. They also need to see ID and the original paper DBS check

If you don't know about the update service, you almost certainly won't be on it. It's free for volunteers but £10 for paid employees. You should get the new DBS put on the update service.

I'm on the update service and have had my certificate checked by different organisations in the same workforce.

I am on the update service and a voluntary organisation with which I am involved still insisted on a new DBS.

Update service is now £16.
I’ve an employee DBS certificate on the update service and my volunteer position (same category) want a new one. Sigh.
There's no standard or rules.

Thanks everyone, not an issue to arrange another just a shame one DBS doesn’t work for both!

You can use an employment dbs for a volunteer role but not vice versa - the updating service for volunteers is free.

it is ridiculous that organisations ask for their own dbs when a person has a current one on the updating service that covers all the necessary categories for the new role.

I managed a volunteer service for several years and insisted everyone joined the updating service - free of charge for volunteers - and kept their membership up to date. I would always accept dbs from another organisation if it covered all the categories and was registered in updating service.

Volunteers signed a form authorising myself to perform checks at least annually with the updating service to ensure dbs had no new information. The updating service saved masses of time and expense from not having to constantly apply for new dbs. My dbs is still current from 2013 - on updating service that covers volunteer role automatically re-registers annually.