Enhanced DBS Certificate

An Enhanced DBS check is issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), the government body responsible for helping employers make safer recruitment decisions. It is the highest level of criminal record check available and is the standard required for anyone working closely and unsupervised with children.

The certificate contains details of both spent and unspent convictions and cautions, together with any additional information held locally by police forces that is reasonably considered relevant to work with children. Where the role qualifies, we also request a check against the Children’s Barred List, which confirms whether an individual is legally barred from working in regulated activity with children.

Nannies are not automatically eligible to apply for an Enhanced DBS check on their own behalf, as this normally requires a Registered Body acting on behalf of a recruiting organisation. Since January 2026, however, self-employed nannies have been able to apply directly for their own Enhanced check through a Registered Body, without needing an employer to initiate it. At Little Penguins Nannies, we guide every candidate through this process and verify each certificate directly with the nanny before making an introduction to a family.

DBS certificates carry no fixed expiry date, but the information they contain is only valid as of the date of issue. We recommend certificates are renewed periodically, and where a candidate is subscribed to the DBS Update Service, this allows their check to be kept current and viewed by prospective employers online.

You’re welcome to apply for your DBS check independently through a Registered Body of your choice — full details on how the process works are available on the official Disclosure and Barring Service page on GOV.UK . Alternatively, if you’d rather we guide you through it, just get in touch and we’ll take care of the details with you.