Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

If there are any warnings/cautions/convictions listed on your certificate, we will need to pass the details to Student Governance. Depending on the nature and time of the conviction, you may be asked to come to discuss this at a panel. The panel will consider the suitability of you studying on the programme based on the information contained on your Disclosure and the following:

• The nature of the offence(s)
• The age at which it was committed
• Its relevance to the professional area in question
• Any pattern of offending behaviour
• The two character references provided.

The DBS panel will then decide whether you are considered suitable to start or continue on the programme. If the decision is no then this exclusion is applied across all professional programmes in the relevant faculty.

The process is slightly different for the BSc (Hons) Social Work course. Once an applicant/newly enrolled student has been approved by the Faculty DBS panel then the list has to be circulated to Birmingham Government Child/Adult and other partners within the Social Work sector for approval. Once feedback is received to Student Governance, you will be informed of the outcome in writing. Social work students may also be required to have annual enhanced DBS checks depending upon the placement learning experience and requirements of the practice/placement partner.