DBS is the Disclosure and Barring Service, the body that runs criminal-record checking in England and Wales and carries out barred-list functions. In ordinary speech, “a DBS” usually means a certificate issued after a Basic, Standard or Enhanced check.
Understanding the difference between the body, process and certificate makes the next decision easier. The service does not award a general badge of trustworthiness. It supplies defined information so an employer, family or organisation can make a wider safeguarding and recruitment judgement.
See the tutor application route
The distinction that matters
For this particular question, start by ask which formal level was completed. Basic, Standard and Enhanced are distinct legal levels. Basic is broadly available; access to Standard or Enhanced information depends on the role. An Enhanced application can include relevant local police information, and a barred-list search is included only when the duties make it lawful and the appropriate option is requested.
A realistic tutoring example
A parent asks whether a tutor “has DBS”. A useful answer identifies the certificate’s level, workforce and date and explains whether it is on the Update Service. That is much clearer than a bare yes, because different checks reveal different information.
Apply the answer to the real role
Start with the real tutoring duties, then work back to the evidence. For What Is DBS, first ask which formal level was completed. Next check the certificate belongs to the person. Use that role context when you relate the workforce and date to the tutoring role, and close the review by ensuring you use the result alongside other safer-recruitment measures.
This role-first method must still answer What replaced the CRB? The answer here is: DBS is the current service for England and Wales. Record why that answer is sufficient for these duties. If the duties change, repeat the comparison rather than assuming the earlier conclusion transfers unchanged.
Questions this wording often leaves unanswered
What replaced the CRB?
DBS is the current service for England and Wales.
Can anyone request an Enhanced check?
No. Standard and Enhanced access depends on the legal eligibility of the role.
Does DBS monitor a tutor continuously?
Not through an ordinary certificate. The Update Service can support eligible status checks, but safeguarding remains an ongoing responsibility.
After the duties and evidence for What Is DBS have been matched, use the tutor application page if the role genuinely needs a new check. Repeat the role comparison if the duties later change.