Vetting Hub/DBS Checks for Employers Compliance Risk and Audit Course

DBS Checks That Leave Your Organisation Exposed at Audit

A comprehensive, CPD certified course that gives you the knowledge and confidence to manage DBS checks as an employer, from eligibility and disclosure handling to risk decisions and audit readiness.

"We built this course because too many employers are requesting DBS checks without understanding the legal framework behind them, then struggling when a positive disclosure lands on their desk and nobody knows how to assess it or document the decision. In 2 to 3 hours, you will know exactly how to manage the process compliantly and earn your CPD certificate to prove it."

CPD Certified

Vetting Hub Courses are CPD Certified Registration: 0006126

UKRLP Registered

Vetting Hub is listed on the UK Register of Learning Providers (UKRLP)

  • ÂŖ95

DBS Checks for Employers Compliance Risk and Audit Course

  • Course
  • 38 Lessons

Expert Built DBS Employer Compliance Mastery

This CPD certified course teaches you how to manage DBS checks as an employer with full legal compliance, practical confidence and audit ready documentation. You will learn how the Disclosure and Barring Service operates, which roles are eligible for which level of check, and what your legal obligations are under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, the Police Act 1997 and the DBS Code of Practice.

The course covers the complete employer framework: understanding basic, standard, enhanced and enhanced with barred list checks, determining role eligibility, registering with the DBS or working through an umbrella body, handling positive disclosures proportionately, conducting structured risk assessments, managing criminal records data under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, using the DBS Update Service, and preparing your organisation for regulatory audit.

Each module includes real world scenarios that go beyond standard guidance, teaching you how to respond when a disclosure reveals spent convictions for an exempt role, when an applicant disputes the information on their certificate, and when you need to make a documented, proportionate hiring decision under pressure.

To view and understand the course format scroll to the Course Content section.

Know the law. Assess the risk. Defend every decision.

Duration: 2 to 3 hours CPD Award: 2 Professional Development Hours

CPD Certified | Expert Developed | UKRLP Registered Provider

Graham and Vivianne Johnson

Why We Built This Course

We built this course because most employers treat DBS checks as a tick box exercise and only realise the gaps when a positive disclosure arrives and nobody knows how to handle it.

From 2006 to 2024, we ran our own screening businesses and managed thousands of DBS processes for employers across regulated and non-regulated sectors. We dealt with positive disclosures that required careful risk assessment conversations, organisations requesting the wrong level of check for the role, managers storing certificate data in breach of the Code of Practice, and audit situations where employers could not demonstrate a defensible decision making process.

What Makes This Different

Every lesson comes from real employer situations we have personally managed, not theory from a policy summary. You will learn how to determine eligibility correctly, handle positive disclosures proportionately, and build documentation that satisfies auditors and regulators. In 2 to 3 hours, you walk away CPD certified and confident you are managing DBS checks compliantly. Built by practitioners, not trainers.

Course Contents

Course Introduction

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Course Instructions

Module 1: DBS Foundations and Legal Framework

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Lesson 1: What Is the DBS and Why It Exists
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Lesson 2: The Legal Framework
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Lesson 3: Employer Legal Duties and Responsibilities
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Lesson 4: Roles in the DBS Process
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Module 1 Knowledge Check

Module 2: DBS Check Types and Eligibility

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Lesson 5: Basic DBS Checks
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Lesson 6: Standard DBS Checks
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Lesson 7: Enhanced DBS Checks and Barred List Checks
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Lesson 8: Determining the Right Level of Check
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Module 2 Knowledge Check

Module 3: Eligibility Risks and Requesting the Wrong Check

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Lesson 9: What Happens When You Request a Check You Are Not Entitled To
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Lesson 10: Understanding Regulated Activity and the Barred Lists
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Lesson 11: Common Eligibility Mistakes Employers Make
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Lesson 12: How to Verify Eligibility Before Requesting a Check
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Module 3 Knowledge Check

Module 4: Disclosure Scotland and Cross Border Checks

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Lesson 13: Disclosure Scotland and the PVG Scheme
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Lesson 14: Disclosure Scotland Basic and Standard Disclosures
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Lesson 15: Key Differences Between DBS and Disclosure Scotland
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Lesson 16: Cross Border Employment and Portability of Checks
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Module 4 Knowledge Check

Module 5: Reading and Interpreting DBS Results

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Lesson 17: Understanding a Clear DBS Certificate
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Lesson 18: Reading a Certificate with Disclosed Information
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Lesson 19: Understanding Police Disclosed Information and Approved Information
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Lesson 20: Filtering Rules and Protected Convictions and Cautions
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Lesson 21: What to Do When Adverse Information Appears
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Module 5 Knowledge Check

Module 6: Temporary Staff, Contractors and Agency Workers

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Lesson 22: DBS Responsibilities for Temporary and Contract Workers
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Lesson 23: Agency Workers and Third Party Screening Obligations
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Lesson 24: The DBS Update Service for Mobile and Temporary Workforces
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Lesson 25: Managing Risk When Staff Move Between Roles or Sites
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Module 6 Knowledge Check

Module 7: Employer Decision Making, Compliance and Audit

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Lesson 26: Conducting a Fair and Proportionate Risk Assessment
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Lesson 27: Having Disclosure Conversations and Recording Decisions
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Lesson 28: Storing, Handling and Destroying DBS Certificates
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Lesson 29: Auditing Your DBS Process and Preventing Compliance Failures
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Module 7 Knowledge Check

Final Summary and Certificate Section

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Summary

Who Is This Course For?

Built for professionals responsible for managing criminal record checks and safeguarding compliance in their organisation.

HR and Recruitment Managers

You oversee hiring and need to know which roles require DBS checks, what level to request, and how to handle the results lawfully. This course gives you the practical framework to manage the entire process with confidence and compliance.

Compliance and Governance Officers

You are accountable for ensuring your organisation meets its legal obligations around DBS checks, data handling and audit readiness. This course prepares you to review processes, identify weaknesses and build documentation that withstands scrutiny.

Operations and Safeguarding Leads

You manage teams working in regulated or sensitive environments and need assurance that every DBS check is handled correctly. This course equips you to oversee disclosure decisions, assess risk proportionately and ensure consistent practice across your organisation.