Any minister of a religion will play an influential role in the community so it is crucial the public know ministers can be trusted. Therefore, a minister in the UK is expected to take an enhanced DBS check to confirm their suitability to work in such a highly regarded position.
DBS checks are statutory criminal record checks carried out by the Disclosure and Barring service to ensure the public are kept safe from those who are unsuitable for frontline work.
There are four different types of DBS checks in operation in the UK under the 1974 Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
- Basic DBS
- Standard DBS
- Enhanced DBS
- Enhanced DBS with barring lists
Enhanced DBS checks are a high level check reserved for those who regularly engage in unsupervised contact with the public. This degree of vetting is essential to ensure all members of society are protected from those who are not right for the role.
An enhanced DBS check for a minister of a religion will cover any unspent or spent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings. It will also verify whether there is any other non-conviction information in existence with relevant police forces.
Recruitment for The Church of England and other major religions across the UK are subject to this statutory background check. You cannot request a DBS check for a minister of religion yourself, the check can only be applied for by your employer.
Once complete, you will receive your DBS certificate which you will need to share with your employer to complete the recruitment process.
Find out more about DBS checks and the Disclosure and Barring Service at gov.uk.
