“Online” describes how parts of an Enhanced application may be completed; it does not turn Enhanced into an open-access check or guarantee an instantly downloadable certificate.
Is the role eligible for Enhanced?
Confirm Enhanced and any barred-list entitlement before applying.
Quick takeaways
- CRB is older language; DBS is the current service.
- Online tools exist, but they do not all do the same job.
- Tutors should focus on the route that matches the role.
- A higher level is not automatically appropriate if the role is not eligible.
What an Enhanced DBS check means
An Enhanced DBS check is a higher-level route used where legislation allows it for specific duties, positions or licences. It includes the same conviction information as a Standard check and can also include relevant local police information.
Where the role qualifies, an Enhanced application can also include a check of one or both barred lists. That is particularly important in child- or adult-workforce settings.
- 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.
Why Enhanced matters so much for tutors
Enhanced is the level most people have in mind when they think about schools, tutors, agencies and child-facing safeguarding. Even so, it is not something an individual can demand without the right route or legal basis.
That makes route clarity essential. Employed tutors may have the application started by an organisation, while eligible self-employed tutors can now use an umbrella-body route under the 2026 guidance.
Separate the online steps
An online journey may collect application details, support digital identity verification, take payment or display tracking information. Those screens do not all contain the same data and none removes the role-based eligibility requirement.
Before entering sensitive information, make sure the invitation belongs to the organisation or umbrella-body route expected for the role. Check the level and workforce, use the identity method specified and keep the genuine application reference. A tracking screen that says the check is progressing is not a certificate, and an ordinary screenshot should not be presented to a family as the result.
Continue with the authorised Enhanced route
Apply only when the role, workforce and requester are clear.
What changes when the check is Enhanced
Enhanced questions often overlap with cost, timing and certificate contents. The fee is higher than Basic or Standard, the process can take longer because extra police checks may apply, and the certificate can contain more than basic conviction data.
Clear eligibility and route information matters because Enhanced checks have additional legal and practical requirements.
- Higher official fee than Basic or Standard.
- Potentially longer processing time.
- Additional local-police-information stage.
- Possible barred-list component where entitled.
Next step
Once you are confident the role really points toward an Enhanced route, the next move is to use the correct application path rather than keep comparing terminology.
Do not guess: confirm Enhanced eligibility and the authorised route first.
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.
What to do next
Open the Enhanced application route after eligibility is established.