In England and Wales, criminal record checks are structured as Basic, Standard, or Enhanced DBS checks, each with specific eligibility criteria tied to the nature of the role.

1. Basic checks are available for any position and show unspent convictions only
2. Standard and Enhanced checks are restricted to eligible roles, typically those involving trust, safeguarding, regulated activity, or access to sensitive environments, and reveal progressively more information
3. Enhanced DBS checks are reserved for roles with frequent contact with children or vulnerable adults. It includes everything in a Standard check, plus any additional information a chief constable considers relevant.

Eligible Enhanced DBS applications can also include a check against the DBS Barred Lists, but only where the role involves regulated activity. You need to confirm eligibility before requesting this. Running a Barred List check on someone who isn't eligible is a criminal offence, with a fine of up to £5,000 and potentially up to six months in prison for the person responsible. Basic checks typically come back in five to 28 hours; Enhanced checks in seven to 19 days.

Zinc’s legal team maintains an in-platform eligibility checker that automatically makes sure DBS check levels stay compliant with what’s appropriate for your roles.

Zinc also offers Level 1 Disclosure Scotland checks and Basic AccessNI checks for roles based in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

These checks are not about automatically excluding candidates. They’re about giving employers the relevant, legally permitted picture of a candidate's history so you can make the fair and proportionate decision that’s best for your business.

Yes. Once a candidate is enrolled on the DBS Update Service, Zinc re-checks them automatically every quarter for free. Once you run your rechecks, you’ll be notified of any changes to candidate status from the last time they were checked, and you’ll be notified if their DBS Update Service subscription expires.

This is especially useful in healthcare, education, and social care, where keeping your workforce checks current isn't optional. It's a regulatory requirement. Whether you’re doing rechecks yourself or using the Update Service, Zinc lets you bulk upload employee details so you rechecks take minutes, not months.

Criminal record checks are mandatory for any role involving regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults.

In healthcare, education, social care, and childcare, an Enhanced DBS check is typically required, with a Barred List check also needed where the role constitutes regulated activity. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) sets out safe recruitment requirements under Regulation 19. Ofsted has equivalent standards for education and childcare settings.

Outside safeguarding, the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) under the FCA requires financial services firms to assess fitness and propriety for senior staff, which usually includes criminal screening. Government and public sector roles with access to classified information also routinely need criminal checks.

If in doubt, always remember that the right level — Basic, Standard, or Enhanced — is determined by what the role is legally eligible for, not by preference.

DBS checks are criminal record checks in England and Wales through the Disclosure and Barring Services that check a candidate’s criminal history.

Criminal record checks are run globally across a wide range of countries, although the approach varies significantly by jurisdiction, from government-issued certificates to court record searches, depending on what each country permits.

Zinc also offers Level 1 Disclosure Scotland checks and Basic AccessNI checks for roles based in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.