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Check the next step for tutorsDBS Check Types
This page translates the official guidance into plain English for tutors, parents, schools and tutoring organisations.
DBS Check Types is a comparison query, so the most helpful answer is to separate the levels clearly. Basic, Standard, and Enhanced checks do different jobs, and tutors should focus on the level that is legally relevant to the role rather than assuming ‘higher is always better’.
This page turns the official guidance into a tutor-friendly explanation, keeping the wording simple without losing the important legal distinctions around level, route, and eligibility. It also fits into the wider “crb check what is” content cluster, so related pages on this site cover the adjacent questions people usually ask next.
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Quick takeaways
- CRB is older language; DBS is the current service.
- Different DBS levels exist for different legal purposes.
- Tutors should focus on the route that matches the role.
- A higher level is not automatically appropriate if the role is not eligible.
Direct answer
The right way to compare DBS levels is to start with legal purpose rather than detail. Basic checks are widely available, Standard checks are limited to specific eligible roles, and Enhanced checks go further where legislation allows.
When people compare Basic, Standard and Enhanced, they usually want to know which one feels ‘best’. In reality, the correct question is which one is lawful and relevant for the role. A higher level is not automatically appropriate just because it sounds more reassuring.
- A Basic check can be requested by an individual and shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions.
- A Standard check is for specific legally eligible roles and shows spent and unspent convictions and adult cautions that have not been filtered.
- An Enhanced check shows the same core conviction information as a Standard check and can also include relevant local police information.
- An Enhanced check with Barred List(s) adds a check of the children’s barred list, adults’ barred list, or both where the role is entitled to it.
Where the differences really matter
Comparison pages are most useful when they cut through assumptions. The aim is not to show which level sounds strongest, but to explain when each level is actually meant to be used.
That matters for tutors because families, schools and agencies may all ask slightly different questions, while the legal answer still depends on the role setup and the check being requested.
Ready to stop comparing routes?
This site is designed to make the decision clear first, then point you to the next practical step.
Tutor-focused examples
A school-employed tutor, an agency tutor, and a private tutor working directly for families can all end up in slightly different conversations about checks. The level alone does not tell the whole story; you also need to know who requested it and what role it related to.
This is why a reusable certificate is only useful in limited circumstances. Even a current certificate may not fit a new role if the level or workforce is wrong.
- Ask what level was requested and why.
- Check whether the role involves child workforce, adult workforce, both, or another category.
- Treat portability carefully, especially where the Update Service is not in place.
Best practice before acting on a comparison
Once you understand the difference, the next step is to stop guessing and match the route to the real tutoring arrangement. That is the point where theory becomes admin.
If your research is turning into a real application decision, treat this page as the clarity step rather than the final admin step. Once you know the level and route you actually need, use the apply-now page to move forward in a tutor-focused way.
Common questions
Is CRB the same thing as DBS?
CRB is the older term. DBS is the current service and the term used in modern official guidance.
Can I just choose the highest DBS level to be safe?
No. The role has to be legally entitled to the level requested.
Which DBS level matters most for tutors?
That depends on how the tutoring is arranged and whether the role is eligible for a higher-level check.
Does having a DBS certificate settle safeguarding on its own?
No. A certificate is one part of safer recruitment, not the whole process.
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Related guides
Ready to stop comparing routes?
This site is designed to make the decision clear first, then point you to the next practical step.
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