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No more forwarding emails: the basic DBS check now shares itself

Qurexa Editorial Team23 October 20265 min read 0 0
No more forwarding emails: the basic DBS check now shares itself

What happened

On 22 October 2026 the Disclosure and Barring Service, usually called the DBS, launched a simpler way for people to share the result of an online basic DBS check. Until now, the process put the work on the applicant. You got your result, then you had to forward emails and instructions yourself so that an employer or an agency could view it. Under the new arrangement, you choose who should be able to see your result while you are filling in the application. The DBS then contacts that person directly and sends them a link to view the result online. A basic DBS check is the most common kind. It shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions. It is the check most often asked for in jobs that are not in regulated roles with children or vulnerable adults, which require the higher standard or enhanced checks.

Why this matters

This sounds small, and in a sense it is. But it removes a step at exactly the point where people get stuck. Anyone who has started a job that needed a check will recognise the pattern. The result arrives. You are not sure which email to forward. You forward the wrong one. The recruitment team asks again. Days pass, and a start date slips. For the person applying, the change means the result can be shared securely, viewed and managed online, and shared when and with whom they choose. For employers, results can be viewed online, the information comes directly from GOV.UK, there is less reliance on paper certificates, and recruitment and onboarding can move faster. That last point about paper matters more than it seems. A paper certificate passed between hands is the version of this process most open to mistakes and to forgery. A link that comes from the DBS itself is easier for an employer to trust, and easier for an honest applicant to prove.

What the evidence actually says

The DBS announcement describes the change and its benefits, but does not publish figures on how many checks this will affect, and it does not quote any named individuals. So it is worth being careful about claiming more than the announcement does. What can be said plainly is what has changed and what has not. What has changed is the sharing mechanism for online basic check results, and the fact that you nominate the recipient during the application rather than afterwards. What has not changed is what a basic check contains, who can ask for one, or your right to decide whether to share it. You still choose. Nominating someone during the application is a choice you are making, not a disclosure happening automatically to anyone who asks. It is also worth knowing the difference between a basic check and the DBS Update Service, which is a separate subscription that lets standard and enhanced certificates be kept current and rechecked by employers. They are not the same thing, and this announcement is about basic checks.

Qurexa perspective

We recruit drivers and support staff who handle people's medicines and visit people at home, so background checks are part of our ordinary week rather than an abstract policy question. From an employer's side, the honest truth is that the slowest part of a check has rarely been the DBS. It has been the back-and-forth of getting the result from the applicant to the right inbox. Taking that out should mean fewer delays for people waiting to start work, which matters most to the people who can least afford a fortnight's gap in pay. One thing we would say to anyone applying for a job with us or anyone else: a legitimate employer will never ask you to send money for a DBS check to a personal account, and will never ask for your bank details to "process" a check.

Practical advice

**If you are applying for a basic check,** have the details of the person or organisation you want to see the result ready before you start. You nominate them during the application. **Check the spelling of their email address.** The link goes to the address you give. **Keep access to your own result.** You can view and manage it online, so you do not need to rely on a stored email. **Employers: expect the link to come from the DBS, not the candidate.** If a "result" arrives as an attachment from an applicant's personal email and you were expecting a link, pause and check. **Watch for scams.** Basic DBS checks have a published fee, and you apply through GOV.UK or an approved responsible organisation. Sites charging large "admin fees" to do it for you are not doing anything you cannot do yourself. **If your check shows something you did not expect,** you have the right to dispute the information. There is a formal process for that, and it is free.

What to know

The DBS has changed how online basic check results are shared. Instead of forwarding emails yourself, you now nominate who should see the result while you apply, and the DBS sends them a link directly. Applicants keep control over when and with whom they share, and can view and manage the result online. Employers get information straight from GOV.UK with less reliance on paper certificates, which should speed up recruitment. What a basic check contains, and your right to choose whether to share it, has not changed. Sources: GOV.UK (Disclosure and Barring Service), "New, easier way to share your online basic DBS check result", 22 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-easier-way-to-share-your-online-basic-dbs-check-result; GOV.UK, "Disclosure and Barring Service", https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service. This article is for general information only. It is not legal, financial or medical advice. For anything about your own health or medicines, speak to a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.

#DBS checks#digital government#recruitment#data privacy#employment#public services

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