Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

Our external Provider, 'Online Disclosures,' will provide the University of confirmation that your DBS certificate is complete. You therefore do not need to send a copy of your certificate to the University.

Update service

This is an online service which enables your certificate to be kept up-to-date and, with your consent, allows an organisation to check your certificate online. For £13 a year, you can subscribe and can re-use your certificate again providing the same level of check is acceptable with the organisation.

If you have subscribed to the DBS Update Service, we will be able to check the status of your DBS certificate online. It may be possible for you to use your existing DBS certificate instead of submitting a new one through Birmingham City University. To enable you to use your existing DBS certificate, you must have met the following criteria on your DBS as stated below.

Criteria for all Health Courses including Social Work

  1.      Existing DBS must be Enhanced
  2.      Subscribed currently to the DBS Update Service
  3.      Checked against both Adult and Child Workforce

Criteria for Education Courses

  1.      Existing DBS must be Enhanced
  2.      Subscribed currently to the DBS Update Service
  3.      Checked against Child Workforce ONLY

If your existing DBS meets this criteria then you will need to provide us with your original DBS certificate. Please email a copy of your DBS Certificate to admissions@bcu.ac.uk so that we can verify if it is satisfactory.

You may wish to consider joining the DBS Update Service, full details can be found on here.