If you’ve been asked to apply for an enhanced DBS check — or you’re an employer deciding which level of check to request — one of the most important questions is: what does an enhanced DBS check actually show?
Unlike a Basic DBS check, which only reveals unspent convictions, an enhanced DBS check is the most thorough level of criminal record check available in the UK. Understanding exactly what it discloses can help both employers and applicants prepare for the process with confidence.
This guide provides a complete, plain-English breakdown of what shows up on an enhanced DBS check, what the filtering rules mean in practice, and how employers should interpret the results.
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Table of Contents
- The Three Components of an Enhanced DBS Certificate
- Spent vs Unspent Convictions: What Gets Disclosed?
- Police Intelligence and Soft Information
- What Won’t Appear on Your Enhanced DBS Check
- How Employers Interpret Enhanced DBS Results
- Final Thoughts
The Three Components of an Enhanced DBS Certificate
An enhanced DBS check can reveal up to three distinct categories of information, depending on the role and whether a barred list check has been requested.
Criminal Record Information
The first component is the criminal record check itself. An enhanced DBS check shows all convictions, cautions, reprimands, and warnings held on the Police National Computer — including both spent and unspent convictions. This is a key difference from a Basic DBS check, which only shows unspent convictions.
The level of disclosure is governed by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the associated Exceptions Order and Filtering Rules, which determine which older or minor offences may be removed from certificates over time.
Barred List Check
For roles involving regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults, an enhanced DBS check can also include a check against the children’s barred list, the adults’ barred list, or both. Being on a barred list means an individual is legally prohibited from working in regulated activity with that group.
Not all enhanced DBS checks include a barred list check — it must be specifically requested and is only available for roles that involve regulated activity. Employers who request a barred list check for a role that doesn’t qualify risk having the application rejected by the DBS. You can find out more about regulated activity in our regulated activity reference document.
Additional Police Information
The third and often least understood component of an enhanced DBS check is the inclusion of additional information held by local police forces. Chief police officers can disclose information they reasonably believe is relevant to the role being applied for — even if it has not resulted in a conviction.
This is the element that makes an enhanced DBS check fundamentally different from a Standard DBS check and is explored in more detail below.
Spent vs Unspent Convictions: What Gets Disclosed?
One of the most common sources of confusion around enhanced DBS checks is the distinction between spent and unspent convictions — and the filtering rules that govern what appears on a certificate.
Unspent Convictions
These are convictions that are still active under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Depending on the sentence received, a conviction becomes spent after a rehabilitation period. Unspent convictions will always appear on an enhanced DBS check.
Spent Convictions
Spent convictions are older offences that have passed their rehabilitation period. For standard employment, spent convictions do not need to be disclosed. However, for roles covered by the Exceptions Order — which includes most positions that require an enhanced DBS check — spent convictions can still be disclosed on the certificate.
The Filtering Rules
The DBS applies filtering rules to determine which spent convictions and cautions are removed from certificates. As of the current rules, a conviction may be filtered out if:
- It resulted in a non-custodial sentence
- It is not on the list of offences that will never be filtered
- Enough time has passed since the date of conviction (11 years for adults, 5.5 years for those convicted as a young person)
- The individual has no other convictions on their record
Cautions may be filtered if they are not on the list of offences that will never be filtered and 6 years have passed since the date of the caution (2 years for those cautioned as a young person).
Certain serious offences — particularly those involving violence, sexual offences, or harm to children — will never be filtered and will always appear on an enhanced DBS check regardless of how much time has passed. For further guidance on filtering rules, visit the official DBS filtering guide on GOV.UK.
Police Intelligence and Soft Information
Perhaps the most significant and misunderstood aspect of an enhanced DBS check is the power of chief police officers to disclose additional information — sometimes referred to as soft information or non-conviction information.
This means that even if a person has never been charged or convicted of an offence, a police force may choose to disclose information they hold if they believe it is relevant to the role being applied for. Examples of the type of information that might be disclosed include:
- Allegations that were investigated but did not result in a prosecution
- Intelligence gathered during police investigations
- Information from other agencies or safeguarding bodies
- Acquittals where the police consider the circumstances relevant
The decision to disclose this type of information is made on a case-by-case basis by the relevant chief police officer. The standard applied is whether the information is reasonably considered relevant and ought to be disclosed, taking into account the nature of the role.
Can You Challenge Soft Information Disclosure?
Yes — applicants have the right to challenge a disclosure of additional police information if they believe it is inaccurate, irrelevant, or should not have been disclosed. This is done through the DBS’s own review process or, in some cases, through the courts. Find out more about the DBS disputes process on the official Disclosure and Barring Service website.
What Won’t Appear on Your Enhanced DBS Check
There are several common misconceptions about what shows up on an enhanced DBS check. Here is a clear summary of what is typically not included:
- Civil matters — county court judgements, debt, divorce, and other civil proceedings are not included
- Foreign convictions — criminal records from other countries are not automatically included in a UK enhanced DBS check. Overseas criminal record checks must be obtained separately
- Filtered offences — older minor offences that meet the filtering criteria will not appear
- Arrests without charge — being arrested but not charged or cautioned does not in itself result in a disclosure, though associated police intelligence may be considered under the additional information provisions
- Mental health records — medical and mental health information is not disclosed through a DBS check
How Employers Interpret Enhanced DBS Results
Receiving an enhanced DBS check with disclosed information does not automatically disqualify a candidate from a role. Employers are required to assess the certificate in context, taking into account factors such as:
- The nature and seriousness of the offence or information disclosed
- How long ago the offence or incident occurred
- The relevance of the disclosure to the specific role
- Evidence of rehabilitation or changed circumstances
- The level of contact with vulnerable groups involved in the role
Many organisations have a written policy for assessing DBS certificates — sometimes called a Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Policy — which sets out how disclosures will be considered fairly and consistently. The DBS Code of Practice requires registered bodies to have such a policy in place.
It is unlawful to have a blanket policy of refusing employment to anyone with any conviction or caution. Each case must be assessed individually and proportionately. For further guidance, visit the DBS Code of Practice on GOV.UK.
If you need support managing your organisation’s DBS checking process, contact the APCS team for expert guidance.
Final Thoughts on Enhanced DBS Checks
An enhanced DBS check is the most thorough background screening tool available for UK employers, and understanding exactly what it discloses is essential for both organisations and applicants.
The key points to remember are:
- An enhanced DBS check shows spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, and warnings
- For regulated activity roles, it also includes a barred list check
- Chief police officers can disclose additional relevant information even without a conviction
- Filtering rules mean some older minor offences may not appear
- Employers must assess disclosures individually and in context
At APCS, we process enhanced DBS checks for over 19,000 organisations across the UK — with no registration fees, no annual charges, and the fastest turnaround in the industry. Whether you need a Basic, Standard, or Enhanced DBS check, we make the process straightforward from start to finish.
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