What "DBS-Verified" means on Tutorperch
A DBS-Verified badge on a tutor's profile indicates that a member of our team has:
- Received the tutor's Enhanced DBS certificate (children's workforce)
- Confirmed the certificate is clear (no convictions, cautions, or relevant police-held information)
- Confirmed the certificate is current. It must be either issued within the last three years, or active on the gov.uk DBS Update Service
- Confirmed the name on the certificate matches the tutor's identity-verified name
After the review, Tutorperch records the certificate number, name, date of birth, issue date, and clear status. The certificate image itself is then purged.
How it relates to identity verification
Every published tutor on Tutorperch has already passed an identity check before any safeguarding certificate can be submitted. At DBS review time, the name on the certificate is cross-referenced against the identity-verified name. A mismatch halts the submission. The two layers together prevent a stolen certificate reference from being used alongside a fraudulent profile.
What the badge does not replace
A DBS certificate is a snapshot in time. Even a certificate issued yesterday confirms only what was on the relevant police records up to that moment. For child tutoring specifically, parental due diligence remains appropriate:
- Meet first before booking ongoing lessons, in person if local or by video call if online.
- Ask to see the physical certificate at the start. It is a normal request and most tutors will comply.
- Use the gov.uk DBS Update Service if the tutor is subscribed; a free online status check confirms whether the certificate is still current.
- Ask for references, run a trial lesson, and supervise early sessions where possible.
The independent DBS-check guidance page walks through each of these in more detail.
Renewals
Three years after the verification date, the badge expires. Tutors subscribed to the gov.uk DBS Update Service renew by status-check against their existing certificate number; tutors not on the Update Service submit a new certificate. The badge drops from the profile automatically if re-verification is not completed in time.
Scotland and Northern Ireland use different schemes
DBS is the scheme for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own jurisdictional equivalent.
- Scotland: PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups), run by Disclosure Scotland under the PVG (Scotland) Act 2007. Scotland-based tutors share their PVG scheme record with us via Disclosure Scotland's Online Account. More on PVG-Verified tutors →
- Northern Ireland: AccessNI Enhanced Disclosure, run by the NI Department of Justice under the Police Act 1997 (NI). NI-based tutors share their digital certificate with us via their NIDA account. More on AccessNI-Verified tutors →
Tutorperch verifies whichever scheme the tutor holds, with the same three-year manual-review discipline. The Safeguarding-Verified filter in search surfaces tutors verified under any of the three schemes.