DBS Checks for Foster Carers: Who Is Checked and How Long It Takes

If you’re thinking about fostering—or you’ve already started your assessment—Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are one of the first safeguarding steps. They help agencies and local authorities confirm that everyone involved in caring for a child is safe to do so. Here’s a clear, practical guide to who needs a DBS check, what level is used, how the process works, how long it usually takes, and what happens if something shows on a certificate.

What is a DBS check for fostering?

A DBS check searches official records to reveal relevant criminal history and barred list information so an agency can make a safe recruitment decision. For fostering, this is almost always an Enhanced DBS check with a check of the children’s barred list, because the role involves regulated activity with children. The agency (or local authority) is the “registered body” that submits and manages the application and receives the result.

Who needs a DBS check?

1) Main applicants (prospective foster carers)

Every applicant must complete an Enhanced DBS + children’s barred list check. If you’ll also support over-18 care leavers or adults in Staying Put arrangements, the adults’ barred list may be considered too, but the children’s list is the core requirement.

2) Adult household members (aged 18+)

Any adult who lives in your home needs an Enhanced DBS check. That includes lodgers and adult children who have returned to live with you. If a child in your home is turning 18 during assessment or approval, your agency will trigger the DBS on or just before their birthday.

3) Regular visitors with unsupervised or substantial contact

People who regularly provide childcare, transport, or overnight stays (e.g., a named backup carer/babysitter) usually need an Enhanced DBS. Occasional visitors who don’t provide care or supervision generally do not—but the fostering service will risk-assess patterns of contact.

4) Second homes and shared care

If you have a partner with a second address or you regularly spend time in another household, expect DBS checks for adults at that address if a fostered child will be present there.

Tip: Be transparent about who comes and goes in your home. Your assessing social worker can advise whether a visitor falls within “regulated activity” or if a lighter touch risk assessment is enough.

What level of check is used?

• Enhanced DBS – shows spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings, plus any police-held “relevant information” that a Chief Officer decides to disclose.
• Barred list check (children’s) – confirms whether a person is barred from working with children. Foster carers and any adult in a role amounting to regulated activity will have this check.

Agencies also carry out other safeguarding checks alongside DBS: personal and employment references, medicals, health & safety checks, pet risk assessments, and local authority/previous fostering references.

How the DBS application works

1. Identity verification
   You’ll show original documents (passport/driving licence, proof of address). All names and previous addresses for at least the last five years must be declared. If you’ve lived overseas, you may need police certificates from those countries too.
2. Online form submission
   The agency inputs your details into the DBS system. You’ll review and sign electronically (or on paper where relevant).
3. DBS and police processing
   The DBS runs national database checks and routes the application to any local police forces where you’ve lived, who can add “local intelligence” if they judge it relevant.
4. Certificate issued to the applicant
   The certificate is posted to you. The agency normally receives an online status and will ask you to share the original or a verified copy.
5. Update Service (optional but recommended)
   Within 30 days of the certificate date, you can subscribe to the DBS Update Service. This allows the agency (and any future agency if you transfer) to run online status checks, avoiding repeated full applications unless something changes.

How long does it take?

Typical timeframes are 2–6 weeks from submission to certificate, but the range is wide. Many complete quickly; some take longer if multiple police forces need to search archives.

Common delays include:

• Long or complex address histories, frequent moves, or name changes.
• Manual reviews by local police forces (e.g., old paper records).
• Errors or mismatches in name/date of birth/address.
• Waiting for overseas police certificates.

How to speed things up:

• Provide complete, accurate five-year address history (with exact postcodes and dates).
• List all previous names (marriage, deed poll, spelling variants).
• Keep your ID documents current and in the exact same name format.

What if something shows on my DBS?

Not all information is a barrier to fostering. Agencies use a risk-assessment approach, weighing:

• The nature and seriousness of the offence or information.
• How long ago it happened and your age at the time.
• Any pattern or repetition.
• Context and evidence of change (e.g., references, training, insight).

Some offences—especially involving harm to children or serious violence/sexual offences—are likely to prevent approval. Others (e.g., older, minor, non-violent matters) may be considered in context. Honesty is critical: undeclared history discovered later is usually seen more negatively than the record itself.

If you believe your certificate is factually incorrect, you can use the DBS dispute process. If the issue concerns police-disclosed local information, there’s a “Representations” route to challenge proportionality. Your agency will guide you.

Renewals, transfers and ongoing checks

• Renewal frequency: Many fostering services re-check DBS every 3 years (policy varies). With the Update Service, they can run online status checks annually or at review points.
• Transferring agency or moving from LA ↔ IFA: If you’re on the Update Service and no new information is flagged, your DBS can be portable, speeding up transfers.
• Household changes: If a new adult moves in or a child turns 18, the service will trigger a new DBS.
• Named babysitters/back-up carers: Keep these individuals current—if their contact becomes regular or overnight, they’ll usually need an Enhanced DBS.

Overseas checks and right to work

If you’ve lived abroad for significant periods, expect to provide overseas police certificates in addition to DBS. This can take time—start early. Your agency will advise which countries and what format is acceptable. You’ll also complete standard right-to-work and identity checks as part of safer recruitment.

Privacy and handling of information

Your certificate belongs to you. Agencies don’t keep copies longer than necessary and must follow data protection rules. They will record the certificate number and date, plus the outcome of their risk assessment in your file. Sensitive details are shared only with those who have a legitimate safeguarding need to know (e.g., fostering panel, decision-maker).

Frequently asked questions

Do my teenage children need DBS checks?
Under 18s do not complete DBS checks. When a household member turns 18, the agency will arrange an Enhanced DBS promptly.

I got a speeding ticket—do I need to declare it?
Most fixed penalty traffic matters don’t appear on a DBS, but declare anything you’re unsure about and follow the application questions carefully. Agencies consider patterns (e.g., repeated dangerous driving) if relevant to child safety and transport duties.

Can I start training before the DBS clears?
Yes—most agencies let you attend pre-approval training (“Skills to Foster”) while checks are in progress. You cannot be approved or have a child placed until all mandatory checks, including DBS, are satisfactorily completed.

Will my DBS be checked again after approval?
Yes. Expect periodic re-checks or Update Service status checks and additional checks if your circumstances change.

Key takeaways

• Who is checked: All applicants and adult household members (18+), plus any regular babysitters/backup carers with unsupervised or substantial contact.
• Level: Enhanced DBS with the children’s barred list.
• Timing: Plan for 2–6 weeks (can be faster or slower). Start early, give full address/name history, and consider the Update Service to avoid repeats.
• If something shows: The agency completes a case-by-case risk assessment; honesty and context matter. Some serious offences are incompatible with fostering.
• Keep it current: Re-checks every three years are common; update or trigger new checks when household circumstances change.

Handled well, the DBS process is straightforward. It’s there to protect children—and to protect you by showing that thorough, lawful checks have been done before anyone is placed in your care.