*Making Music are currently undergoing changes to the DBS Service, and therefore are not accepting DBS request sign ups. More information to follow soon.
Key service details:
- Our DBS check service is open to members and non-members. Members pay a lower fee.
- We can only accept requests from organisations - we cannot accept requests for checks from an individual.
- We can only accept requests from organisations based in England and Wales.
- Organisations can request checks for employees, self-employed freelancers or volunteers.
- We use a company called First Advantage who provide an online portal for quick and hassle-free DBS checks.
- Your organisation will need a named person (known as the ‘Verifier’) to process your checks.
- Your organisation is responsible for ensuring it is eligible to request DBS checks. if you don’t know which level of DBS check you need or are allowed to apply for, then Making Music members can read our detailed guidance. Non-members can use the gov.uk guidance eligibility tool.
The FAQs below explain more about how our service works. Below that you will find an online form where you can request DBS checks.
- Enhanced Disclosure checks without barred list check and
- Enhanced Disclosure checks with barred list check
The type of check you need depends on the nature of activity being carried out. If you are not sure what type of check you need, please read our detailed guidance.
Making Music does not offer overseas criminal record checks. However, you can request these through First Advantage. Find more about applying for an overseas criminal record check and a list of the countries on the First Advantage website.
No. We offer enhanced checks - which can only be requested by an organisation, therefore we are not able to process checks for individuals.
No. You need to go directly to the DBS service's online portal. The person who has been checked needs to be subscribed to the update service and must give you their permission to access their information through the service. Find out more about the DBS update service.
The verifier is simply the person responsible for recruiting staff and volunteers that your organisation wants to check.
The verifier makes sure that anyone having a DBS check understands the nature of the check, and takes the legal responsibility of confirming that the person has shown their documents and they have verified them. This means that you need to have seen the documents in real life – you are not allowed to excuse someone from showing you their documentation just because you know them.
You can, but they will not be able to verify their own application. Someone else will need to be appointed as the verifier.
You can – for example if your usual verifier needs to be checked, then another person would need to be the verifier for their application. However, you should regularly make sure that your verifiers are updated, and anyone who is no longer authorised to act as a verifier for your group has been removed from your First Advantage account.
Please email us to request the change.
All DBS checks requested via Making Music are completed online via an online portal run by a company called First Advantage.
The first time you request an online DBS check a registration fee (£5 for members, £7.50 for non-members) will be payable. This is a one-off fee and you will not have to pay it for any future checks. The process will work as follows (more detailed guidance for each step will be provided when you order a check).
- Verifier requests DBS checks from Making Music
- Verifier signs an agreement (if this is the first check carried out by this verifier)
- Verifier is set-up with online First Advantage account
- Verifier emails applicant(s) though online account with request to complete online form
- Applicant completes online form
- Applicant and Verifier meet and check documents
- Verifier completes verification part of online form
- Online form sent directly to DBS
- Making Music invoice for check(s)
- DBS contacts applicant with check outcome
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For subsequent checks, you are able to go straight to your online First Advantage account and start this process from the fourth step. |
| Making Music member group | Non-member | |
| Registration fee (payable once) |
£5.00 |
£7.50 |
| Volunteers, enhanced disclosure (payable per check) |
£14.00 |
£37.00 |
| Paid employee, enhanced disclosure (payable per check) |
£53.60 |
£76.60 |
DBS fees are VAT exempt and include a small administration fee to Making Music.
The majority of DBS checks are completed within 3 weeks of submitting all the required information.
You will have been given an account with an organisation called First Advantage who will be processing your check, and you can log on to your account to see where in the process you are. Unfortunately the system does not send email confirmations. The results are sent directly to the person being checked. You will be able to see that the process has completed, but you won’t get sent the result – you will need to ask the person to show you their certificate if you want to know the result.
The DBS certificate will be sent by post to the applicant’s home address. You will need to ask the applicant to let you know if they have received it.
We will invoice you within 6 weeks of a check being completed. You will have 30 days to pay from the date of issue.
