DBS Information for Students and Applicants

Professional programmes in Health, Social Work and Education require a satisfactory enhanced DBS check as a condition of your place. 

Once you have accepted your offer, you will be automatically invited via email to start your DBS application.  

You can enrol and begin your programme while your check is being processed. However, you cannot start your placement until your DBS check has been cleared. 

If this applies to your programme, the Placements team will contact you when it is time to complete your DBS check. 

For further information, see Understanding and applying for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check in Ask4Help Online on the Student Portal. 

You will need a DBS check as part of the placement approval process. The Placements team will contact you to arrange this. 

For further information, see Arranging a Disclosure and Barring Service check for your non-practice placement in Ask4Help Online on the Student Portal. 

You must have a DBS check in place before any regulated activity begins. Your DBS certificate number will also be required for ethical approval. 

For further information, see Getting ethical approval for your research project in Ask4Help Online on the Student Portal. 

All DBS applications at Northumbria are made through the Atlantic Data DBS Application Portal. Atlantic Data is a DBS-registered Responsible Organisation (RO), authorised to process DBS applications on behalf of the University.

When you are invited to apply, you will receive an email containing: 

• a link to the Atlantic Data DBS Application Portal 
• your username for the portal 
• instructions to create a password

Follow the instructions in the Atlantic Data portal carefully and provide all the information requested. Incomplete applications will slow down your check and could delay the start of your placement or research.

DBS checks can take up to 60 days. Complete your application as soon as possible after receiving your invitation.

During your application, you will need to pay the £5 verification fee and upload identity documents - please expand the sections below for further information.

The University covers the cost of your DBS check (£49.50). The only charge to you is a £5 digital ID verification fee, paid through the Atlantic Data portal during your application. 

If you have questions about costs, contact DBS Compliance.

You must provide at least three documents in total - a combination of identity and address verification. 

Examples of identity documents: 

• Passport (current and valid) 
• Driving licence (full or provisional) 
• eVisa immigration Share Code 
• Original birth certificate (dated less than 12 months from birth date) 

Examples of address verification documents: 

• Bank statement (less than three months old) 
• Student Finance letter (less than one year old) 
• Utility bill (not a mobile phone bill) 

A full list of accepted documents is available on the UK Government website. 

When your check is complete, the University will be notified and your certificate will be posted to the address you provided during the application. 

Keep your certificate safe. You may need to show it to your placement provider or research supervisor. There is no online version. If it is lost, damaged, or your details change, you will need to reapply at your own expense. 

Your certificate is valid for the length of your programme, as long as you do not interrupt or repeat your studies. 

Yes. The University has its own Safeguarding responsibilities and we require students undertaking regulated activity as part of their studies to undergo a DBS check. 

Yes. Some placement providers carry out their own DBS check as part of their safeguarding policy. This means you may have two DBS checks in total. 

Please contact DBS Compliance and we will advise you. A full list of accepted documentation can be found on the UK Government website.

If you are unable to complete verification of your documentation via the online digital ID service, please contact DBS Compliance.

A conviction or caution does not automatically prevent you from studying. A University panel will review your case individually and keep you informed throughout. 

If you have any concerns, please contact: 

• Applicant Services if you are applying for a programme at the University.  
• DBS Compliance if you have already enrolled onto a programme at the University.  

Your DBS certificate will become invalid if: 

• Your criminal record changes. 
• You interrupt your studies or repeat a year. 
• Your regulated activity continues beyond three years. 

If your criminal record changes, you must inform the University as soon as possible. Failing to declare a conviction or offence while your certificate is still valid may result in University disciplinary action. 

Students on professional programmes 

If you are on a professional programme, you must also meet Fitness to Practise standards throughout your studies. You must tell the University as soon as possible if any of the following apply to you: 

• You have been charged with or convicted of a criminal offence. 
• You have had contact with partner agencies in connection with safeguarding a child or adult 
• You have been implicated in harming another person 

Speak to your Programme Leader or Personal Tutor in the first instance, or contact DBS Compliance. 

No. Your DBS certificate is a physical document and there is no online equivalent. 

You can register with the DBS Update Service within 30 days of your certificate being issued, which allows others to check your certificate status online. However, there is an annual cost and for most Northumbria students this will not be necessary. 

Keep your certificate safe and make sure you have access to it at the start of each period of regulated activity. 

In most cases, lost or damaged certificates cannot be reprinted. You will need to apply for a new DBS check and pay the full cost yourself. The same applies if your details change. This is outlined in the DBS certificate re-print guide.  

Please see the table below for costs: 

Please visit our online store and make a payment for your new DBS application. University DBS Compliance staff will receive confirmation of your payment and will contact you with further information.  

If you have any further questions, please contact DBS Compliance. 

If you do not want to reveal details of a previous identity during the DBS process, a confidential checking route is available. Contact the Disclosure and Barring Service directly before you start your application to discuss this in confidence.

If you have a question about your DBS check that is not answered here, please contact us via the DBS Enquiry Form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.