• What is in a criminal record history background check?

Employers may carry out a criminal record check regardless of the role you’re applying for. 

The most common criminal record check is called a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This is carried out in England and Wales. Depending on your role, employers can request a more detailed disclosure if you intend to work with children or in a healthcare setting.

The types of DBS check are:

• a basic check contains details of all convictions considered to be unspent and conditional cautions
• Standard checks contain details of any spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings
• Enhanced checks contain the same information as a standard check and police records held locally  
• an enhanced check with barred lists, which contain the same information as for enhanced check plus whether you’re on the list of people barred from doing the role

Other countries will carry out their own versions of a criminal record check - for example, in Scotland, a Disclosure Scotland criminal record check will likely be carried out. 

All criminal record checks, regardless of country, will look to confirm whether you have had any criminal activity in the past, by searching authorities' records.

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