FAQ’s about our DBS checks and our portal

We have a modern and simple system. You are in total control of your DBS checks, you have your unique username, your password and your own memorable information to enable you to start processing your DBS checks. Access is very similar to online banking.

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Set up costs are included in paid memberships only.

For each church or charity account, there will be one administrator, this is the person who receives email alerts for the DBS’s and you can have up to 2-3 ID verifiers.

If you choose to transfer your custom from another umbrella organisation into CSS you don’t have to repeat your current DBS checks. You just keep your own record on your single central record.

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How much do CSS charge for the processing of a DBS?

Online DBS checks 

• Enhanced (Paid worker)  – £49.50 (DBS fee) plus £8.50 inc VAT (admin fee)
• Enhanced and Standard (Volunteer) – £8.50 Inc VAT (admin fee)
• Standard (Paid worker) – £21.50 (DBS fee) plus £8.50 inc VAT (admin fee)
• Basic check (Paid worker and volunteer)- £21.50 (DBS fee) plus £8.50 in VAT (admin fee)

Update Service Fee

Our portal can run the annual checks for you provided your applicant re-registers each year

• £3.50 per year.

Volunteers can sign up to the update service free of charge within 28 days of receiving their certificate. They can do this here.

Volunteers have the choice to register with the update service, you cannot insist they do. If you require the update service the cost of a DBS check increases to £12.00 each. Volunteers will receive regular emails up to remind them to register to the update service.

Scottish DBS

• Enhanced (Paid worker) – £25 (Disclosure Scotland fee ) plus £24 incVAT (admin fee)
• Enhanced (Volunteer) – £24 inc VAT (admin fee)

DBS Digital ID Checks 

• Digital ID check for Basic, Standard or Enhanced DBS checks - £5.40 inc VAT each. 

The charge for a Digital ID Check is in addition to the normal DBS processing  fees.

Other DBS charges

• Route 2 External ID Verification £12.00 inc VAT – needed when an applicant cannot produce a Passport, Driving Licence or Birth Certificate. This is an external ID verification due to lack of ID for Route one, there is an additional charge of £10 per check.

Volunteers can sign up to the update service free of charge within 28 days of receiving their certificate. They can do this here.

Volunteers have the choice to register with the update service, you cannot insist they do. If you require the update service the cost of our checks increases to £12.00. Volunteers will receive regular emails up to remind them to register to the update service.

An Enhanced Check for volunteers is free with DBS except for our processing fee of £8.50

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DBS Charges from 2nd December 2024 prices include VAT

DBS TYPE	**DBS charge for Employee Certificate A	**DBS Charge for a Volunteer Certificate B	*Digital ID charge optional C	*Update service charge optional D	Christian Safe- guarding Services admin fee E	Total cost A+E or B+E	Total cost with optional extras
Basic Employee check or volunteer	£21.50	£21.50	*£5.40	N/A	£3.50	£30.00	£35.40
Employee Standard check	£21.50	Volunteer certificate is free	*£5.40	£3.50	£8.50	Employee £58.00 _______ Volunteer £8.50	Employee £66.90 ______ Volunteer £17.40
Enhanced with or without barred lists	£49.50	Volunteer certificate is free	*£5.40	£3.50	£8.50	Volunteer £8.50	Volunteer £17.40

**DBS charge for certificates are exempt of of VAT. All other charges include VAT

*You are charged for each digital ID fail, after 2 attempts the ID reverts back to a manual check

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Can I change from my current provider?

Yes you can, as a church or charity you can choose who you purchase your DBS services from.

You are unable to “transfer” the DBS’s records from one umbrella organisation to another but you will have your single central record so you will already be in possession of your DBS information.

There are no regulatory requirements to stay with the same umbrella organisation to process your DBS checks.

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My applicant has completed their digital ID but I can’t submit the form

Your applicant probably hasn’t submitted their application form, look for the date in the submission column, if there is no date, they will need to log back in and submit their form.

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How do we pay?

We invoice you at the end of every month, you are charged for the DBS’s once they have been submitted by you, regardless as to whether the DBS has been completed with a result. Once you press submit, the application is then in the DBS system and we are charged for the check regardless as to whether the checks have finished

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Can I use a DBS from another organisation ?

Yes! but only if the applicant has registered with the DBS update service. If not you will have to complete a new DBS

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Can we have multiple ID verifiers on the DBS account?

You can, however its wise to limit this number because the information is sensitive information, we would advise at the most, 3-4 people. To add an additional verifier you can fill the form in here

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Who is eligible for a DBS?

You can find out which job roles or positions are eligible for an enhanced DBS here .

It’s really important you check out who is eligible for a check. It’s illegal to carry a DBS check out on someone who doesn’t need one and its illegal to not DBS someone who is eligible for a DBS check if working in specific church activities

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I am a Safeguarding Lead with oversight for a number of our churches, can I have oversight over all our DBS’s for our church collective?

Yes you can!

We can easily set it up so that you have a super user account. You will be able to see all the information on your group of churches but each church will only be able to view their own information

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Help ! I’ve forgotten my password or I need to reset my password –

You can self serve and do this yourself by going into the portal.

You will either have an administrator account or an ID verifier account. This can only be done by you, but only if you are NOT already locked out of the account.

Both accounts have the same access level, it just allows multiple users onto the account. Enter your user name, click on “click here to reset password”

You will be emailed a new password. Do check your spam.

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I’ve forgotten my memorable information

Go into the portal, sign in with your username and insert your password, then click on the hyperlink to request new memorable information. Scroll down and add in your user name and email address, you will then be emailed new memorable information

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The applicant hasn’t received their DBS link or you have input an incorrect email address

Go into your portal and on the applicants line click edit, scroll down and you can edit the email address don’t forget to SAVE and then resend the link.

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HELP! I get a warning before I submit the application.

This is because your original entry when you set up your applicant will have contained the shortened name or nickname you possibly know the person by. e.g. Sue (SUSAN), Johnny (Jonathan)

So, for example you set the application up for a Jenny Brown, in fact her name is Jennifer Brown.

The applicant will have completed their full name and it conflicts with the original name you entered.

Scroll back up to the top of the page and check that the applicant has filled in correctly their surname forename & middle name.

Then override the warning by pressing submit.

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As a security measure, you do need to change your password on the portal every 60 days, regardless whether you have regularly, logged in or not. You will get also a reminder.

HELP! I’ve been locked out of my account

If its been more than 60 days since you logged into the portal you are automatically locked out and will not be able to log in until you request a portal reset.

For an account reset please see here

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I can’t find the current applications on my portal

Click on the Search box on your portal and the names of your applicants will appear

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The system keeps telling me the Driving Licence is invalid

This is the most common error.

If you are receiving an error message relating to the Driving Licence number, it could be because the Name and Date of Birth entered in the application form do not match the Name and Date of Birth on the driving licence.

Please note:

• The first five characters of the Driving Licence Number should match the Surname on the application form.
• The numbers that follow reference the Date of Birth. These should match the details held on the application form.
• The initials that follow should match the Forename and Middle Name (if applicable) as it appears on the application form.

If a Middle Name has been provided on the Driving Licence but has not been disclosed on the application form – this will generate an error message.

If a Middle Name has been entered into the Forename field – this will also generate an error message.

If a Middle Name is in the DBS application form but the initial does not appear on the driving licence this will also generate an error message

If the name order appears correct on the application form, try re-submitting it before validating the ID.

Northern Irish driving licences are not compatible with this portal, they can be used to check the current address

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Common Errors

The applicant hasn’t received their link to their DBS application

Check the email address is correct. Go into the portal, find the name of the applicant and click on the word “edit” hyperlink. This will open up the original form you first set up for the applicant. Check the email address, amend if necessary and resend the link. Ask the applicant to check thier spam folder

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Names

It’s really important that as an ID checker or administrator you double check the information on the application to the ID supplied. You are still charged and will have to pay again for a correct DBS.

E.g Incorrect entry

Surname :Harrison

Forename: Susan Ruth Hannah

Middle name 1:

Middle name 2

Middle name 3:

Correct Entry

Surname: Harrison

Forename :Susan

Middle name 1: Ruth

Middle Name 2: Hannah

Middle name 3:

Also if you have entered multiple names in the initial set up in the the original application and the applicant doesn’t correct the names on the correct lines, the driving licence will not go through as a form of ID.

The applicant needs to go back in and insert their middle names. You, as Admin or ID verifier can also amend provided you have the ID verification, by going into the application form hyperlink next to the applicants name on the portal dashboard.

Example Scenarios are provided below:

Conditions	Example
A name is misspelled	Graham JONES and Graeme JONES Philip WILSON and Phillip WILSON Sara MORRIS and Sarah MORRIS Jennifer GORSEY and Jennifer GORSEU
A name has been omitted	Applicant’s correct name is Elaine Adele FLETCHER but application states Elaine FLETCHER Applicant has been known by another name, which has not been declared on the application
Names provided are in the wrong order	Cameron MAXWELL submitted as Maxwell CAMERON Jenna Sally Victoria TODD submitted as Jenna Victoria Sally TODD
Concatenated names requiring separation	Annemarie JEPSON or Anne-Marie JEPSON and Anne Marie JEPSON Clough WILLIAMS-ELLIS and Clough WILLIAMS ELLIS
Separate names requiring concatenation	Tommy Lee DEMPSEY and Tommy-Lee DEMPSEY or Tommylee DEMPSEY Clough WILLIAMS ELLIS and Clough WILLIAMS-ELLIS
An initial or abbreviation is included in the name that represents a longer name	Barbara K MURPHY and Barbara Katherine MURPHY Md Ali SARAJ and Mohammed Ali SARAJ
Names have been duplicated	Robert Robert SHIPLEY or Robert SHIPLEY SHIPLEY
A name is included that does not belong to the applicant	Applicant’s correct name is Diane SCOTT but application states Emily SCOTT Applicant’s correct name is Roger Meddows TAYLOR, but application states Roger Meddows MAY
An entry in a mandatory address field has been misspelled	Birstol and Bristol
An entry in a mandatory address field is incorrect	Postcode is wrong House or flat number is wrong Address is Poplar Drive but submitted as Poplar Avenue
An entry in a mandatory address field is missing	House or flat number is not declared

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❗️DBS UPDATE SERVICE IMPORTANT – 

Volunteers can sign up and subscribe FREE to the update service themselves here. This costs churches nothing, so no need to pay us when it can cost you nothing.

Please note Should you disable the “subscription not required” there will be an additional charge of £3.50 per DBS check to the update service added to your account.

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Tracking a DBS

Sometimes a DBS can take longer than average to complete. This can be for a number of reasons, dependant on the type of check and the locality and the police forces involved in the checking.

The applicant is able to trace where their application is in the system. You can give them their E reference number from your DBS portal by clicking on “acknowledged” on their application and then they can trace their DBS here

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2021 guidance for DBS checks in a church context

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