When applying for a Standard or Enhanced DBS check, you’ll need to select what type of work a candidate will be doing and who they’re interacting with. On the questions list, this is known as the DBS ‘workforce type’.
But what exactly does a DBS workforce type mean? And how can you determine which DBS workforce type to select on each application?
Don’t worry, we’re here to help talk you through this process, what the different workforce type options are, and the types of roles within them.
What is a DBS workforce type?
A DBS workforce type refers to the category of people an applicant will mainly be working with or have contact with in their role.
In short, the workforce type helps the DBS determine what kind of people your applicant will interact with.
The three DBS workforce types are:
- Child workforce – for roles working with children (under 18)
- Adult workforce – for roles working with vulnerable adults
- Other workforce – for roles that don’t involve regular work with either group, but still require checks
Sometimes, a role might involve working with both children and adults, like doctors, nurses, or therapists. In those cases, you’ll need to select both workforce types on the application.
Every Standard or Enhanced DBS check must have a workforce type selected. It’s important to get this right so that:
- The correct level of check is carried out
- Any necessary barred list checks are included
- You’re meeting legal and safeguarding requirements
Let’s look at each workforce type in more detail to make sure you select the correct option on DBS applications.
Child Workforce DBS type
A child workforce relates to roles which are eligible for the check on the basis of working with children. This includes roles which involve interaction with children, known as regulated activity.
What is regulated activity with children?
Regulated activity is a key part of what defines a child workforce role. It’s a legal term that covers certain types of work involving children, such as:
- Teaching, training, instructing, caring for, or supervising children:
This includes roles like teachers, teaching assistants, sports coaches, nursery workers, and childminders.
How often the activity happens matters; it usually needs to take place more than three times in a 30-day period or overnight. - Providing advice or guidance about a child’s well-being:
This might include roles like youth workers or school counsellors. Again, frequency is usually important. - Giving healthcare or personal care to children:
This includes doctors, nurses, therapists, or anyone helping a child with eating, drinking, dressing, washing, etc., due to illness, age, or disability. Even doing this just once can count as regulated activity. - Driving a vehicle just for transporting children:
For example, school bus drivers. Frequency rules normally apply here, too. - Managing or supervising someone doing a regulated activity with children:
If someone oversees others doing any of the activities above, that also counts.
So, jobs like teachers, school bus drivers, and nursery staff would all fall under the child workforce type.
It also includes roles that come with a natural level of responsibility for children’s welfare, like childminders, school governors, or trustees of children’s charities.
It’s really important to understand exactly what the applicant’s role involves, so you can choose the right workforce type. Getting it wrong can lead to delays or mistakes with the DBS check.
More information can be found in the DBS child workforce guide, which is available here.
Adult Workforce DBS type
Just like the child workforce type, the adult workforce type applies to roles that involve regulated activity with vulnerable adults. These roles are eligible for a DBS check.
Who is considered a vulnerable adult?
A vulnerable adult is someone aged 18 or over who may need care or support because of:
- A learning disability
- A physical disability
- Mental health conditions
- Age-related frailty
- Receiving healthcare or personal care
- Receiving social care services
- Substance misuse
It’s worth noting that someone doesn’t have to be permanently vulnerable. For example, a person recovering from a serious illness might be classed as vulnerable for a period of time.
What is regulated activity with adults?
As with the child workforce type, a big part of what makes a role fall under the adult workforce is whether it involves regulated activity. These are specific tasks that, if done often or intensely with vulnerable adults, mean the role requires a DBS check with a check of the Adults’ Barred List.
Regulated activities include:
- Providing healthcare:
This could be medical, nursing, psychological, or psychiatric care – even therapies. In some cases, even providing first aid at work can count if it’s with vulnerable adults. - Providing personal care:
This means helping someone directly with things like washing, dressing, eating, drinking, going to the toilet, or moving around. - Providing social work:
This includes assessing or supporting a vulnerable adult, or managing/supervising someone who does. - Helping with money matters:
This includes managing cash, paying bills, or handling a person’s banking. - Helping with someone’s personal affairs:
For example, supporting someone with communication, organising appointments, or making decisions. - Transporting someone:
Taking a person with a disability or illness to, from, or between places where they receive care or support.
How often and how intensely someone works in these roles usually affects whether it counts as regulated activity. Most of the time, doing it more than once or operating overnight is what qualifies it. But for some tasks, like personal or healthcare, participating even once can be enough to qualify.
So, roles like carers, hospital porters, and social workers usually fall under the adult workforce type.
There are also other jobs where this applies, such as someone working regularly in a care home who may come into contact with vulnerable adults.
You can find more details in the official DBS adult workforce guidance.
Child and Adult Workforce DBS type
In some cases, a person might be eligible for a Standard or Enhanced DBS check under the Child and Adult Workforce type, depending on what their job involves.
This category should be chosen when a role includes working with both:
- Children (anyone under 18), and
- Vulnerable adults (people aged 18 or over who may need care or support for different reasons)
You’d select this option if the person’s duties involve both groups, not just one or the other.
Examples of roles that need both workforce types
Here are some common examples of when this might apply:
- Healthcare professionals: Doctors, nurses, and therapists (like physiotherapists, occupational therapists, or speech and language therapists) who treat both children and adults in hospitals, clinics, or private practice.
- Social workers: They often work with people of all ages, including children who need protection and adults who need support.
- Youth offending team staff: These professionals mainly work with young offenders but may also be involved with their families, including vulnerable adults.
- Charity or community organisation workers: In some organisations, the staff support people across a wide age range, meaning they may work with both children and vulnerable adults.
- Specialist support providers: This could be someone who offers education, counselling, or mentoring that spans both age groups.
- Designated safeguarding leads: In smaller organisations, one person might be in charge of safeguarding for both children and vulnerable adults.
Before selecting this workforce type, it’s important to look at all parts of the person’s job carefully. This option is only suitable if they meet the eligibility criteria at the same level for both children and adults. For example, they must be eligible for an Enhanced DBS check under both workforce types.
When you select the Child and Adult Workforce type, the DBS will:
- Carry out an Enhanced DBS check – this is the most detailed level of check and includes information from police records, including spent and unspent convictions, cautions, and any other relevant police info.
- Check both the Children’s Barred List and the Adults’ Barred List – this helps make sure the person isn’t banned from working with either group.
If you’re unsure whether this category applies or you’d like more guidance, you can contact the DBS here.
‘Other workforce’ DBS type
The Other Workforce category is used on a DBS application for roles that need a Standard or Enhanced DBS check, but not because the person is working directly with children or vulnerable adults in a regulated activity.
You can think of this as a catch-all option for roles where checks are still important—for example, for public safety, security, or to meet rules set by professional bodies or licensing authorities.
Who falls under this category?
Roles that typically fall under the Other Workforce type include:
- Taxi or private hire drivers – Even though their job doesn’t always involve working directly with vulnerable people, drivers often transport children, elderly passengers, or others in potentially vulnerable situations. Because of this, many local authorities require an Enhanced DBS check listed under Other Workforce, and sometimes even against the barred list checks, depending on the area’s rules.
- People applying to work in gambling premises – If you’re applying for a licence to work in places like casinos or betting shops, or if you’re renewing one, you’ll usually need an Enhanced DBS check. This includes roles like croupiers or betting shop managers, as required by the Gambling Commission.
- Staff working in prisons, detention centres, or remand centres – These jobs usually involve working in secure settings with individuals who’ve been convicted of crimes. Depending on the role, you might need a Standard or Enhanced DBS check under this workforce type.
- Immigration advisers – If you’re registering with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner to give immigration advice or support, you’ll probably require an Enhanced DBS check .
- Pharmacists – Because they handle medicines, including controlled drugs, and hold a position of trust, pharmacists usually need a Standard DBS check under Other Workforce.
How is this different from the child or adult workforce types?
The main difference is that roles under the Other Workforce category don’t qualify for a DBS check based on working directly with children or vulnerable adults. Whilst some contact with those groups might happen occasionally, it’s not the main reason for the check.
Instead, these checks are usually required for reasons like:
- Public safety and security – To make sure people in sensitive roles don’t pose a risk to the public.
- Professional standards – Some professions require criminal record checks to maintain public trust.
- Industry regulations – Certain sectors or licensing authorities require DBS checks by law.
Whether a Standard or Enhanced DBS check is needed will depend on the specific job and what the law says about it. Barred list checks (for working with children or adults) aren’t normally included in the Other Workforce check, unless the role also involves a significant amount of work with vulnerable groups. This can sometimes apply to taxi drivers, depending on local policies.
To summarise
As we’ve seen, there are a number of different DBS workforce types to consider when making a DBS check application.
So, as long as the applicant is eligible for a higher level of background check, one of these DBS workforce types will be suitable.
For any additional information, or if you want confirmation on legislation or which workforce type is most suitable for your application, you can always contact the DBS directly.
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