From 17 January 2018, individuals who need to obtain a basic disclosure check for a job in England and Wales should apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), not to Disclosure Scotland. The DBS now provides the service for England and Wales. Individuals who wish to apply for their own basic check can use the new online service provided by the DBS.
Individuals who need a basic disclosure check for a job in Scotland should still apply to Disclosure Scotland.
If anyone wants a check for personal reasons rather than work purposes, they should apply to the relevant organisation for the area where they live, i.e. DBS if they live in England or Wales or Disclosure Scotland if they live in Scotland.
It is important that individuals apply to the right organisation for their basic disclosure check, so that the correct Rehabilitation of Offenders Act rules are applied.
