DBS stands for Disclosure and Barring Service, the public body that carries out criminal record checks in England and Wales. There are three levels, and the important thing most cleaning company marketing leaves out is that domestic cleaners are usually only eligible for the lowest one.
"DBS-checked" on a cleaning company website almost always means a Basic DBS check. That is a reasonable thing to have. It is not the same as the Enhanced check a teacher or care worker undergoes, and companies that imply otherwise are overselling.
The three levels
Basic DBS. Shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions only, under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Anyone can request one about themselves, for any job or none. This is the level applicable to most domestic and commercial cleaning roles.
Standard DBS. Shows spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings. Only available for specific roles listed in legislation, such as certain financial, legal and security positions. Most cleaning roles are not eligible.
Enhanced DBS. Everything in a Standard check, plus any additional information a police force considers relevant. Available only for roles involving regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults. It can include a check against the children's or adults' barred lists.
Eligibility is set by law, not by preference. A cleaning company cannot simply choose to obtain Enhanced checks for domestic cleaners, because cleaning in a private home is not generally regulated activity. Where cleaners work in schools, care homes or healthcare settings, higher levels may become available and appropriate depending on the nature and frequency of their contact.
Scotland operates its own system through Disclosure Scotland, including the Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme. Northern Ireland uses AccessNI. The principles are similar; the terminology and the levels differ.
What a Basic check tells you
That, at the moment the check was run, the person had no unspent convictions or conditional cautions on record.
That is genuinely useful. It is a meaningful screen, and it is more than many households do when hiring someone directly.
What it does not tell you
Worth being clear about, because "DBS-checked" is often presented as a complete assurance.
- Nothing about spent convictions, which drop off a Basic check after the rehabilitation period
- Nothing about allegations, arrests or investigations that did not lead to a conviction
- Nothing about anything after the date of issue. A DBS certificate is a snapshot. A check from four years ago says nothing about the last four years, unless the person is registered with the DBS Update Service, which lets an employer check the certificate is still current
- Nothing about competence, reliability or honesty in a general sense
- Nothing about the person who actually turns up, if the company subcontracts
- Nothing about right to work, which is a separate check entirely
The questions that matter more
Given those limits, these are worth more than the DBS badge on its own.
Is the person attending employed by the company I am contracting with? If they subcontract, the vetting may have been done by nobody. This is the single most useful question.
What else do you check? References from previous employers, right to work documents, identity verification, and an interview. A company that does all of these has a stronger process than one relying on a certificate alone.
How recent is the check, and do you re-check? Good practice is renewal every two to three years, or use of the Update Service.
Will the same person attend each time? Consistency is a genuine safeguard. Someone who cleans your home every fortnight for two years is a known quantity in a way a rotating pool is not.
Can I see the certificate, or confirmation it exists? Note that the certificate is issued to the individual, not the employer, so a company may reasonably decline to show you someone else's personal document. What they can do is confirm the level, the date, and that it was verified.
What is your process if a check flags something? A thoughtful answer here tells you the company has actually thought about it rather than treating it as a marketing tick.
If you hire independently
You can ask a self-employed cleaner to obtain a Basic DBS check about themselves and show you the certificate. Individuals can apply directly through GOV.UK for a modest fee, and many established independent cleaners already have one because customers ask.
You cannot obtain a check about someone else without their involvement and without meeting the eligibility rules. Any service offering to run a criminal record check on a third party without their consent is not operating legitimately, and you should not use it.
In regulated settings
If you run a school, nursery, care home or healthcare premises, the position is different. Cleaning staff working in those environments may be engaging in regulated activity depending on the nature and frequency of their contact, in which case Enhanced checks and barred list checks may be required rather than optional.
Get this right rather than assuming. The eligibility rules are specific, and the consequences of getting it wrong in a regulated setting are serious. If in doubt, take advice from the relevant regulator rather than from a contractor.
What to make of it overall
A Basic DBS check is a reasonable minimum and worth asking about. Treat it as one signal among several rather than the answer.
The stronger indicators of a company you can leave alone in your home are:
- Staff employed rather than subcontracted
- The same person each visit
- References you can actually call
- Insurance certificates provided without chasing
- A named contact with a direct number
- A clear, written procedure for keys
- Willingness to let you trial before committing
None of those appear on a certificate, and together they tell you far more.
Frequently asked questions
Should I insist on a DBS check? Ask about it, and treat the answer as one factor. Insisting on Enhanced for a domestic clean is asking for something that usually is not legally available.
How long is a DBS check valid? There is no expiry date. It is a snapshot of the date it was issued. The Update Service allows ongoing checking.
Can I see the certificate? It belongs to the individual, so a company may not share it. They can confirm the level and date.
Is a DBS check the same as a police check? It is the UK's criminal record checking service. Different countries have different systems, so an overseas equivalent is not directly comparable.
What about cleaners from overseas? A UK DBS check only covers UK records. Right to work checks are a separate legal requirement, and reputable employers do them.
Does a Basic check show everything? No. Only unspent convictions and conditional cautions.
