Is the DBS update service subscription (the £13 annually) mandatory every year?

Mine has just come up for renewal for the first time, and I've renewed it, (through sheer panic of "Oh heck no, I'm not going through that again!") but I don't recall reading that I have to stay on the update service, only that I had to sign up for the update service in order to be registered. Do I have to renew it? Do I have to renew the subscription for my partner's DBS also?

Also, logging on to the update service for the first time in a year I noticed that Ofsted checked it recently on my birthday, is this common practice?

I've always found this part of the job really murky and confusing, so any information on the issue would be gratefully received. Thanks.

I think you have to keep your subscription up, and for your husband also. I think I remember reading on their site somewhere that your details are checked twice a year.

When the BDS first can in, we only had to have one, it did not need renewing, but then the rules changed that said we did have to pay for the update.

My understanding is when you first apply you need to register for the update service within something like 19 days. You can then opt to pay the £13 annually by Dd and then not to have to worry about it again. If you don't register for the update service I believe the dbs is 'out of date' after the first year and you have to apply for a new dbs and then the update service! This may be wrong but I know someone who it has happen too recently. If you both registered for the update service after your original dbs certificate was issued you can manually pay the £13 annually. But if you didn't register for the update service you might have to start the process again. But please verify this as I may be wrong. Very confusing indeed. But I know my cm friend was very annoyed with herself. Maybe others will reply with different news for you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MOH

My understanding is when you first apply you need to register for the update service within something like 19 days. You can then opt to pay the £13 annually by Dd and then not to have to worry about it again. If you don't register for the update service I believe the dbs is 'out of date' after the first year and you have to apply for a new dbs and then the update service! This may be wrong but I know someone who it has happen too recently. If you both registered for the update service after your original dbs certificate was issued you can manually pay the £13 annually. But if you didn't register for the update service you might have to start the process again. But please verify this as I may be wrong. Very confusing indeed. But I know my cm friend was very annoyed with herself. Maybe others will reply with different news for you.

---

Forgot to say this applies to new dbs's after Sept 2014, I believe.

When you get your DBS certificate number back you can apply for the update service and when doing so you will be asked if you want it to automatically go out of your bank every year ( I clicked yes for me and my partner otherwise you will have to pay for DBS and update service 1 year on)

Thanks guys for replying.

It turns out my partner did have the automatic payment set up, so his payment went out a few days ago. So we're both signed up for the next year. Is it just CMs that applied after September 2014 that have to keep this annual subscription? If so surely everyone having different rules makes things much harder to regulate and hard to reinforce when people are following different requirements? O_o

I've had to get a DBS done (as a childminder my CRB from 2005 was always good enough for Ofsted!) I've signed up to the yearly updates, it's much better to have a DBS that is as current as the day it has been looked at online, rather than, like my CRB from 10 years ago!!! (currently working in a day nursery)

When you first apply for your DBS, you get a link to apply for the updates in probably the second email. I applied then, so didn't have to worry about 'remembering' to do it within the 19 days. I have heard, the 19 days starts from when your letter is posted, not from when you receive it. There could easily be postal strikes, your on holiday, etc that can mean the 19 day period is missed.